The 3 Lessons From Michelle Yeoh’s Address to the Harvard Class of 2023
Lessons for us all — “Stay loose, be smart, and go with love… and then leap. And then leap again. And then leap again”
Internationally acclaimed actress Michelle Yeoh has it all — beauty, elegance, poise, fame, eloquence, and a lifetime of achievement. In her inspiring keynote address to the 2023 graduates of Harvard University, she imparts valuable wisdom gained from a career filled with leaps, challenges, and triumphs. Yeoh offered profound insights into navigating the unpredictable and challenging journey of life, embracing challenges, and finding one’s community — lessons that are applicable to us all.
#1: Stay Loose
Yeoh begins with an anecdote saying, “Dance was my safe place, my inevitable future, and my undeniable path.” Life, however, would have other plans. Just as her dancing career was taking off, Yeoh suffered a spinal injury that would shatter her dreams of becoming a ballet dancer.
“When falling, the tendency is to tighten up to brace for impact. But in truth, the safest thing one can do is remain calm — even curious — about the shifting world around you.” — Michelle Yeoh
After this setback and graduating, Yeoh returned home and looked for other career opportunities with an awareness and freedom that she might not have had otherwise. Yeoh’s first lesson is to stay loose about the future. After all, look at where she is today. Even as other doors close new ones will always open and Yeoh assures us that it’s up to you to stay flexible and be ready to embrace them.
#2: Know Your Limits
Yeoh then emphasizes the importance of knowing your own limits. She breaks this down into two basic parts. First, your own internal limits. Yoeh encourages everyone to be ambitious and strive for greatness but also to be mindful of their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. And second, know your external limits — the limits that are imposed on you by others.
“Limitations set by yourself gives you boundaries to respect, but limitations set by others gives you boundaries to bust through.” — Michelle Yeoh
In other words, knowing our internal limits are essential for preventing us from burning out and helps to keep us on focused on the goal. Limitations set by others are often boundaries to our own success and these are the ones we should focus on overcoming.
#3: Find Your People
In her third and final piece of advice, Yeoh reminds us that most success stories are “less about competition and more about collaboration.” She assures us that every achievement is built upon the shoulders of those who stood before us. As such, she urges us to find our own communities in which to inspire, believe in us, and push us forward. Our communities, she says, should transcend beyond people who we know personally.
“Compassion is the ultimate superpower within us. When you are leaping without a safety net, people become your safety net and you become theirs.” — Michelle Yeoh
She then goes on to talk about the importance of diversity within our personal communities. As well as extending compassion and empathy for others — the foundation for building a community and empowering a movement for change.
“When we shine a light on the rich and varied world around us, we empower the whole of our humanity. “ — Michelle Yeoh
Final Thoughts
Yeoh jokingly referred to these three pieces of advice as “How to Survive the Fall in Three Easy Steps” by Michelle Yeoh. And although many of these points seem obvious or intuitive, it is clear that in the tumultuous and unpredictable world we live in today, we could certainly do with a creative reiteration of these invaluable tips to help guide our lives through uncertainty.
And who could be better to reiterate them to us than Michelle Yeoh herself?
“Learning how to fall teaches you how to land and learning to land gives you the courage to jump higher.” — Michelle Yeoh
Watch the full speech here:
