K The Ken Bradbury Foundation

← Speeches & Workshops

April 2010

IESA, Bloomington Doubletree, Honors Banquet

Matthew Langdon How often do you get to hear your own obituary before you begin? Cerro Gordo…famous author’s day.. “Probably dead” Beginning a speech: Bummy Communicating: David. .basketti

You’re going to be given honors today… But there’s something they may not have told you. You’re going to have to give something back. Sorry, but you have no choice… Because of your talent, you ability, you’re going to have to give back more than you got here today.

Okay..now’s the chance for any of you to walk out the door. I know, you can’t drive, but there’s real cool _____ out in the lobby.

You’re going to have to become a leader. This is not an option. Read the newspapers…listen to the news…We need you …quick.

Okay, you say “I’m not ready.” Too bad. Okay…I’ll help you.. a few tips.

So…since they tricked you into coming today, telling you that you’ll get an award and a fancy lunch, not telling you the other part of the deal…That our nation..our state…our world…now needs you do do something for the next 80 years…I’ll help you out. k If you’re going to be a leader….

  1. Stop thinking backwards. Finished a play Saturday night.. Courtney: pretty, talented, actress, singer. But DO NOT ask Courtney how her day has been. She will tell you. And tell you.. and tell you. When the other kids see her coming to rehearsal they hide.

There’s an old saying: “Get it off your chest.” My advice: Don’t. It makes you a pain in the butt to the rest of us… and it brings you down.

Our teacher’s lounge For once, don’t get if off your chest Teacher I know..kids drive her crazy.. ..meet her in IGA...guess what she talks about...

Corrie Ten Boom “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorry, It empties today of its strength.” To lose weight, skip your morning calisthenics. Stop doing morning calesthenics Yesterday is gone…realize the mistakes you made, tell yourself you won’t do it again, then get on with it. There’s way too much happening today to think about yesterday.

  1. Realize that no matter what happens to you today, YOU are still are still in charge of your life. You can’t change life, you can change how YOU react to it.

Mom: Alcatraz … boats in harbor I teach a senior class who have been the terror of our school ever since Jr High. I saw the list and it looked like a prison break. I never dreamed they’d make it this far alive. And when class begins, I will still be the main determining factor of how that class goes. As a leader, you’re going to have to put up with people who really irritate you. Do it. You probably can’t change them. You can change how YOU REACT to them.

My dad…spanking brother Keith..Keith kept laughing.. finally Dad started laughing and dropped him. (Of course, Keith started crying then.)

  1. Do you have a crazy schedule? Seem like your family ever eats a meal together. Does your mom say things like, “We’re just going to have to slow down!”

No offense Mom, but it won’t work. You have a gifted child. To the students in the room: The only times you’re going to be truly happy in your life are when you’re doing things to help others….If you get tired of giving, give more. You only have about 80 more years of this then you can quit. I’ve read your biographies online.. You aleady know what I’m talking about.

My guess: You each are one of the busiest students in your school…STILL…when somebody in your school wants something done, they come to you. 90% of the work in the world is done by people who don’t have time to do it.

Giving of yourself is good… It makes me happy. It will make YOU happy.

Self-centeredness : depression. Becky...funeral... Carl Menninger JHS girl: CFS

A. Sweitzer: “The only ones among you who will be truly happy as those who will have sought and found out how to serve.”

If you’re getting really tired of working hard for others, the only cure is to work harder for others. You’ll go to bed every night really tired, really worn out, and really, really happy.

  1. Your Friends make a difference.

My elementary school friends…all alphabetical. As you grow older you’ll be in charge of picking your own friends. My advice if you want to be a leader: pick friends who encourage you.

Friends who encourage you. Who take joy in your joy. Lots of your friends will cry with you when you’re sad. But those who are truly happy when you’re successful…those are the ones to cling onto.

Collect interesting and enthusiastic people. Marie...salt and pepper shakers.

Tony Compello “Five years from now you’ll be pretty much the same as you are now except for two things: The books you’ve read and the people you’ve met.

And the best way to do this is to become an encourager yourself. My schedule… I’m rehearsing two plays at once.. Must leave here and drive 3 hours to play piano tonight then drive to Peoria to play on the Riverboat. Tomorrow I teach class then run to a retirement home to do a show, then another class and I have six newspaper columns to write this week and prepare for a trip to Alaska and four summer camps. Do I need your help? No. What do I need? Encouragers? People who tell me how we CAN get a job accomplished, not those who tell me why it won’t work.

architect Johnstone: (Charlie Rose show) 90 years old. Hottest place in hell for whiners and complainers ..... “If life were 100 times longer, there would still excuse for every getting bored by it.” Make friends who are not bored by life. And how do you find friends who encourage you? You become and encourager yourself and they’ll find you.

  1. Because you are talented and smart, you are really busy. My advice: Don’t get so busy with the important things in your life that you forget the important things in your life.

James Dobson..monopoly Dad...hay ...rain....

You are going to have lots and lots of choices in the next few years. You can handle them…you can’t say yes to everything. Sit down with your parents and decide which ones are best for you…and pick the really important ones.

  1. Why do you do what you do? To please people. Some of those people are sitting with you right now. If you’re going to be a leader, choose carefully whom you try to please. Quest...Inner-Outer Self

HINEY THE MULE

  1. Lighten up.... Jim Kern...MRS. BROWN

LIGHTEN UP.... ....go barefoot more often ....turn off the TV some night and pull taffy. ...eat nothing but ice cream for a whole day. ...wear underwear backwards...will break into uncontrollable giggles for no reason every time you think about it. ....walk up to biggest grouch you know and say “I just want you to know that I feel great!” It’ll throw them off all day. ...do some serious coloring ...break the dress code occasionally. Your own, not the schools. My last year’s senior class: Boys. Prom. Goodwill store. Most expensive suit: $23…and that came with a vest. .....McDonnald’s “Have a nice Day” Why? …Pick out somebody who really bothers you and simply be nice to them. Camper: kidnap.

You’re a leader. Followers are nice to people who are nice to them. Leaders try to make everyone feel good about who they are. Get really interested in other people. Me: trapped in closet with Mr. Rodgers.

3 things in life are real...WHEN YOU’RE BORN, WHEN YOU DIE WHEN YOU MAKE SOMEBODY’S LIFE HAPPIER in everything else...LIGHTEN UP.

  1. Don’t take yourself too seriously.. chances are, no one else does.

Chillochothe...”probably dead”

Church lady...music at her funeral.

Jeff W...Free Spirit..Robbed and tied.

Travel LIghter...Your anxieties? Look in your purse or pocket or billfold...ME: comb.

Roger Ebert.

  1. Start living in the present.

Your parents say “Think ahead! Think ahead!” Your teachers say, “Look to the future! Plan! Think ahead!” The good leader does this, but he or she also says… “Whoa.. wait a minute. I’m thinking ahead so much that I forgot to enjoy where I am!”

Some of you during my speech have been thinking about how long...., tomorrow, this weekend. When you drive home from school today, enjoy the moment you’re in.

Show at New Salem one night.. turn out the lights and look at the moon.

Lives of American kids are so filled with “things” that we seldom leave time to enjoy where we are and what we’re doing.

  1. I often leave out number 10 when speaking to school groups…makes some people uncomfortable..Then I read your biographies on the IESA website.

Gabrielle: 6-year State Bible Drill winner, Claire: altar server at St. Elizabeth’s, church acolytle, Andrew: volunteer at the Chicago Food Depository, Andrew: vacation Bible school teacher & church liturgist, Tate: Catholic Leadership Award, Addie: Sacred Heart Lector, Chester: carols at nursing homes, Matthew: Methodist Youth Mission Team, Elyce: church camp, Chelsea: church choir, Megan &Tanner: Fellowship of Christian Athletes, A.J.: the Lighthouse Mission, Catherine & Michael: Bell Ringer for Salvation Army, Gabrielle: Pre-School Ministry, Mark: Lantern for Bible study, Addie: altar server and volunteer,

So I think I’m safe in adding number 10. I’m not preaching to you, but if you have faith..Use it!

Make this deal with yourself. For every minute you spend worrying about things, spend a minute praying my them. Atheist? Hire a nice Baptist widow to do your praying for you.

Let me be really, really honest. If you’re being honored here today, then you’re probably going to live a lot longer than the people who brought you. … even me, as young as I look. It’s going to be YOU running things very quickly.

Why am I giving this speech today? I mean, the ____ was good, but I could have eaten at home. Steve Endsley is cute, but I’ve seen cuter.

My grandpa had a clock. He bought it during the Depression.. When he died he had a choice of giving it to one of his three children. He gave it to my Dad. My dad’s still alive, but he wanted to give it to one of his sons to take care of. He gave it to me. And some day, I’ll pass it along to someone else. We’re about to give you our world and we don’t want to give it to a bunch of idiots and ying-yangs. So…here today.. we’ve chosen you.

Once upon a time your grandparents looked at your mother and father when they were your age and hoped that they would become leaders and bring something wonderful to the world. They did…It’s you. Now let’s take that ball and run with it. You’re about to get an award then it’ll be time for payback… You’ll asked to be a leader for the rest of your life and you’re gonna love it!

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