{"id":249,"date":"2026-05-13T23:05:35","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T23:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=249"},"modified":"2026-05-13T23:05:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T23:05:35","slug":"harrison-fords-rousing-commencement-speech-goes-viral-the-world-my-generation-left-you-is-a-real-mess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=249","title":{"rendered":"Harrison Ford\u2019s rousing commencement speech goes viral: \u2018The world my generation left you is a real mess\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

(NEXSTAR) \u2014 In an inspiring speech to the class of 2026, actor Harrison Ford admitted to the mistakes of his generation, before calling on young people to change the world.<\/p>\n

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He kicked off his commencement address Monday at Arizona State University by admitting he didn\u2019t always make the best choices when he was young. \u201cI was squandering my life in riotous living,\u201d the 83-year-old said of his college years. He found himself in a drama class looking for an easy A grade, but fell in love with acting. <\/p>\n

\u201cHiding in character, costume and makeup, I had a freedom, a bravery I had never felt before \u2013 and I got an A!\u201d he joked. \u201cI was, I realized, present for possibly the very first time in my life. My passion had led me to community.\u201d <\/p>\n

Ford pursued acting, he told the students, while working carpentry jobs to pay the bills and support his family. Even after the success \u201cStar Wars,\u201d when things got easier, something still wasn\u2019t quite right.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe load lightened. I had freedom, opportunity, but something was still missing.\u201d He had found passion for acting, but not purpose in life. <\/p>\n

That changed in the 1980s, Ford said, when he discovered the nonprofit Conservation International. As he continued starring in episodes of \u201cStar Wars,\u201d the \u201cIndiana Jones\u201d series, \u201cBlade Runner\u201d and more, he found his true purpose in activism on behalf of the environment. <\/p>\n

\u201cHumanity is a part of nature, not above it,\u201d he continued, making a plea for environmental justice, social justice and protecting indigenous communities. \u201cThese communities have long understood that the trees, the mountain, water, soil are not commodities, they are relatives to be cherished.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe can all play a role by embracing that wisdom in our day-to-day lives, by loving the planet, by honoring nature\u2019s authority, her generosity, the bounty she affords us, the justice of her example,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause the world you\u2019re stepping into, the world my generation left you is a real mess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFind a place for yourself,\u201d he continued. \u201cWhatever talent or ambition you have, find some way to put it to work. Build something that didn\u2019t exist yesterday. Stand up for someone who can\u2019t stand up for themselves. Bring people together that weren\u2019t talking before. That\u2019s leadership. That\u2019s what moves the needle. <\/p>\n

\u201cYour generation has far more power than you may realize. And if you harness that power, if you find your leadership, your issues, your voice, the world will not be able to ignore you.\u201d <\/p>\n

He ended with a few more inspiring final words: \u201cThis is your time. Own it. Enjoy every second of it. Because what could be worse than getting to the end of your life and realizing that you haven\u2019t fully lived it. Congratulations. Go change the world.\u201d <\/p>\n

The student body cheered as Ford exited the stage. Arizona State said more than 14,000 undergraduates graduated this spring.<\/p>\n

Before his address, Ford received an honorary Doctor of Arts and Humane Letters degree. Philanthropist Howard Buffett also received an honorary degree at the ceremony. <\/p>\n

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“Whatever talent or ambition you have, find some way to put it to work. Build something that didn’t exist yesterday. Stand up for someone who can’t stand up for themselves. Bring people together that weren’t talking before. 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