Gunnersbury Catholic School Speech Night Address By Trevor Matthews, 16 April 2012

1. Introduction

Mr Burke, teachers, parents, friends and students.

Thank you very much for that kind introduction. I am delighted to be here tonight to provide you with some comments about the world in which we live and our society today and to give you for what it is worth my advice on how to cope with pressures and challenges and how to succeed in the years ahead.

First of all I would like to say to the students here this evening that you are indeed very fortunate. Like me you have benefitted from being educated in what is clearly a great school. I admire very much your schools mission and aims.

Gunnersbury Catholic School strives to educate all its pupils within an environment where the Catholic traditions of learning, truth, justice, respect and community are promoted.

It encourages all to engage in as broad an interpretation of education as is possible and one which is in keeping with the motto Ad Altiora To Higher Things.

The school aims to: build a community based on Christian values, maximise the potential of the individual within the school in academic, personal, physical, social and spiritual terms, produce young men and women who will take their values beyond school to promote a better, more just society.
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I note that your school has been recognised and praised by the authorities and I quote from the OFSTED 2009 report

Gunnersbury provides an outstanding education.....The desire to be excellent is evident in every aspect of the schools work..... Students flourish in a supportive but challenging climate that encourages them to give of their best academically and personally.

It doesnt get any better than that. But the best evidence of this excellence is what we experience and see sitting in the hall this evening this very fine group of young people.

To the pupils I say congratulations on your success. It no doubt reflects lots of hard work and dedication. To the parents, families and friends I also say congratulations no doubt you have been called upon to provide lots of support. To the teachers, their support staff and in particular your ambitious headmaster Mr Burke, I also say congratulations and thanks on behalf of everyone assembled here. My younger sister and her husband are both teachers and I know how challenging yet how fulfilling your roles can be.

2.

The World

Many would view our world today and many aspects of our society as troubled and challenging. It can be regarded as a tough environment especially for young people. We have an ever increasing and ageing population which is putting pressure on our resources and threatening our climate. We seem to continue to have violence and political struggles for example right now in Syria, in various parts of Africa and North Korea and other countries such as Iran provide threats. And here in Europe we are concerned about economic growth, unemployment, government debts and the future of the Euro Zone. It all sounds pretty grim doesnt it?
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But... There have always been challenges and we can look back in history at many periods with similar pressures and dramas.

What is different today to when I was sitting in a hall very much like this is that we are now all members of a truly global village where we enjoy instant communication and connectivity and instant gratification. Gee I remember back to my last year of high school. In July 1969 a group of us crowded around a small black and white television in the Prefects Room where incredibly we watched Neil Armstrong put that first footstep on to the moon. This was amazing. That was one of the first globally live televised events. Something that we all now take for granted.

This access to unlimited information means that all of us - countries, companies and individuals now face not just local but global competition. A friend of mine runs an investment management company based in Seattle, Washington in the United States. It operates across the globe and he delivered some chilling news to me recently. He said that as a matter of policy they have decided to recruit all of their graduates every year from now on from the stock of excellent candidates they can find in Beijing! He said that the boys and girls that make it to the top in that environment are truly awesome.

I believe that the stimulus of globalisation forces us and encourages us all to lift our games.

3.

How to cope

So what do we do about this? Well I have some observations based on my experience growing up in Australia in wonderful Sydney and working in Melbourne, Canada, Japan,

Edinburgh and now London. Here is what I suggest you should be doing now in order to cope.

Nurture a strong support network. No-one of us is an island. I suggest strongly that you invest some time to develop your faith and your relationships with your family members, your friends and your colleagues. It is too hard to do it all on your own. I remember an early boss of mine in a lift saying one day, Trevor you know you should be nice to people who you meet on the way up you never know when you might need them on the way down.

Invest in your own future so you can build strength and resilience to help you in the years ahead. It took me some time to realise that I am responsible for my own life and my own career. The same applies to you. I urge you to take action and continue to learn and develop skills and become an expert in the areas that interest you most.

By building a strong base it will mean that you can withstand the shocks and blows that inevitably rain upon us all from time to time.

And let me put a plug in here for financial services not necessarily banking which has become much maligned but dare I say it insurance which I believe is a noble profession. Helping people, families, businesses and organisations prepare for and cope with emergencies our company describes this as Prosperity and Peace of Mind. People need advice and I commend to you if you are good with figures and like helping people the profession of financial planning. Our industry needs bright young people and you can access us by modern apprenticeship type schemes straight from school as well as via traditional university courses.

Take some time out. Remember that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. You need to secure some peace and solitude at times and give yourself some me time. You need to fight to Be still and know I am God Psalm 46.10 lest we all burn out. Make time for some rest and reflection. Remember that in six days God made the world and on the seventh he rested.

4.

How to succeed

So enough of that, what are the secrets to success? Well of course there are no universal secrets but here is a bit of advice which I hope is helpful.

Have a Go. Much of this is built around a famous Aussie trait or dictum - Have a go. First of all dont be afraid of hard work. While I did very well at school and enjoyed my studies it soon became apparent to me that I wasnt the smartest or the brightest or the best in the country, but I knew I could work hard. In fact I maintain that I could work harder than most if not everyone else and that always gave me an advantage. This involves being able to focus on one thing at a time. Probably the best piece of advice my dear Mum gave to me was to deal with issues one at a time. I remember her saying again and again Trev, just do one thing at a time. This brings to mind also the immortal comment from Gary Player, a famous South African golfer who said The harder I practise the luckier I get.

Be curious. Get involved, ask questions, develop your passion and follow your dream. Dont be afraid to make mistakes. Try to learn from them difficult though that may seem at the time. When you get knocked down in a football or rugby match get up

again as soon as possible. After a crash on the snowfields get back onto those skis or the snowboard. Climb back onto that horse. As a mathematician by training I like

thinking about functions with their inputs and their outputs. It is obvious that the outputs you gain are very much a function of the inputs you supply. And so it is with life.

Be enthusiastic. In my view, this is one of the great secrets to success and yet it is rarely talked about. And yet it is very simple. Enthusiasts succeed!

And my advice to you..........................

Whatever you do do it with enthusiasm. As much enthusiasm as you can muster because it is enthusiasts who succeed in life. People like dealing with enthusiasts. Enthusiasm is infectious. It motivates people it gets things done. One genuinely enthusiastic person is worth a hundred pressed men or women.

And the great thing is that every single one of us here today has the wonderful capability to be enthusiastic.

Enthusiasm can make ordinary folk great. Lack of it can make brilliant people mediocre.

To each and every one of us here today, I say that its our level of enthusiasm that will really make the difference the difference between achieving whatever we want in life and just dreaming about it.

For me the words of the great American Industrialist Henry Ford sum things up perfectly. He said:

You can do anything if you have the enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the spark in your eye, the irresistible surge of your will and your energy to execute ideas. Enthusiasm is at the root of all progress. Without it, there are only alibis. With it, there is accomplishment.

With it there is accomplishment remember that and you will succeed. This can all be encapsulated under the heading of Have a Go.

(Insert Aussie story)

Wayne Gretzky was a Canadian ice hockey legend and his statement I think is fabulous:

You miss 100% of the shots you never take.

This leads me finally to ask what is success? And what will make you happy? Well I would say to you that it is not fame, it is not fortune, nor material possessions. It doesnt take long to realise for example after working hard and saving up to purchase a motor boat that there is always a bigger boat. Success is not about what others think. Success is all about what you think you have done yourself. Happiness is about liking yourself and liking yourself means only doing the things that make you proud. This requires on a sustainable basis integrity and courage to forgive to tell the truth to speak up for your beliefs to stand up for others to say you are sorry

to keep going despite failure to move out of your comfort zone to do the right thing even when no-one else is looking

5.

Conclusion

So ladies and gentlemen and young people congratulations once again on your success to date.

Despite the challenging world situation and global competition, I believe all of us have wonderful futures in front of us. You certainly do. Can I remind you please to:

invest in your support network invest in your future make sure you take some time out dont be afraid of hard work be curious get involved be enthusiastic and overall ...... Have a Go

Thanks very much.