The Ultimate Commencement Speech | Finding Your Path

What would the Universe say to you… if it were giving your commencement speech?

In this episode, Mike and Mary share a message of Divine wisdom for anyone standing at the edge of what’s next—whether you’re graduating, navigating a life transition, or simply feeling unsure of your path.

If you’ve been feeling lost, questioning your direction, or wondering what you’re truly meant to do, this message speaks directly to you.

Originally one of our earliest episodes, this conversation felt too meaningful not to share again.

This isn’t just for graduates. It’s for anyone ready for clarity, encouragement, and a deeper sense of purpose as you step into your next chapter.

Follow Mike and Mary on Instagram @mikeandmaryofficial

Questions or comments for Mike and Mary?
Email them at: WhatsTheUniverseSay@gmail.com

To learn more about Mike and Mary's work with The Food Whisperers, please visit:
thefoodwhisperers.com

To learn more about Mary Obana, visit her website:
maryobana.com

To arrange a private reading with Mary to receive the guidance the Universe has for you, visit:
maryobana.com/private-readings

For more information about Mary's book "Shine: A Simple Guide to Finding Your Light and Letting It Shine on the World", visit:
maryobana.com/amazon

Transcript

Mary Obana

So here's a question. What if a college commencement speaker had the benefit of the wisdom of the universe as they addressed the college graduates and their families?

Mike Lannon

Wow, juicy one. Yeah, that's great. So this episode, we're going to ask the universe, what advice would they give to those college graduates or really anyone embarking on a new chapter in their lives?

Mary Obana

So welcome to What's the Universe Say About That. I'm Mary Obana, and along with my husband, Michael, we ask the universe for answers. You see, I'm blessed with this beautiful gift where I get quiet and I can connect with the loving guidance of the universe.

Mike Lannon

So today, you'll see and hear Mary connect directly to that divine guidance and hear the words of wisdom flow directly through her in response to questions about life and the challenges we all face at certain times. So welcome to our home and welcome to this now normal, but always amazing part of our daily lives. So sit back, get ready, and let's hear what the universe has to say about that.

Mary Obana

Let's do it.

Mike Lannon

So I thought with spring, it would be the perfect time for kind of the ultimate commencement speech. So the idea of, I know there's a lot of anxiety just in general in the world today, but kids getting out of college and starting new life, new transitions.

So not just for college kids, but maybe parents wanting to calm their kids down or people just in periods of transition. So I was thinking if you could have God, the universe, whatever, be your commencement speaker, what would they say? So all right, the ultimate commencement speech.

Mary Obana

All right.

Mike Lannon

All right.

Mary Obana

I like it.

Mike Lannon

Yeah.

Mary Obana

I like it.

Mike Lannon

Yes. So let's go.

Mary Obana

Okay. Terrific. Let's see what the universe has to say about that.

Mike Lannon

Exactly.

Mary Obana

All right. Let's go. Here we go.

The Universe

We delight in this question. If we were behind the podium, the lectern, addressing a graduating class, what is it that we would say in this moment as this class sits with their caps and gowns or in a moment of any transition in one's life where there is a before and a unclear after? For that college graduate, they're filled with excitement and anticipation, but also certainly uncertainty.

How can one know what is ahead? There's something to be learned about this moment, this moment where you take stock, where you are allowing yourself to consider what it is you wish for. It is a moment to be grateful for.

So many in life rush from one thing to the next, doing, doing, doing without the pause to consider what it is that is best. Next, there are so many who don't know what it is they should do, but the message we have for you is that true peace in life comes less from the doing and more from the being. Who are you?

So many in the human experience define who they are from where they've been to school, by the job they have, the title they hold, and they define themselves through these achievements. But you see, who you are does not hold a place on a job title or diploma. Who you are exists within you.

True peace comes from coming into alignment with who you are. When the road is rocky and things seem more difficult than you want them to be, when there's so much struggle, when you feel that one door after another is closing, what is it that you are to know? Why is this happening for you?

To live a life of peace, it is to live a life consciously, in awareness, asking the question what it is, who it is that you are. The greatest peace comes from when there is this alignment of your outer life, your behavior, your thoughts. When they are in alignment with the truth that is within you, that is when peace comes, you see.

That's when the struggle ends. So how does one find this place within them? How does one find who they are?

Mary, we know you have written a book about this very subject. Each of you has a light within you. It is a light, and it is a light that came even before you were aware of who you might be.

That light within you is the way that you express your love to the world. That light within you is your own unique brand of love, you see. How is it that you share your love with the world?

There's only one of you. It is your job to find your light. Because you see, if you do not find your light, the world goes on without it, and that is unfortunate, you see.

Each of you has something to give, and what you give is who you are. What is it that brings you joy? What is it that fills you with love?

What is it that you are doing when you are seeing someone receive that love? Are you making them laugh? Are you helping them?

What are you doing? When you are able to have this connection with another, it is a way to see your light. When you are doing something that is filling you with love, and another is receiving that love because they feel your genuine love, you see another light up.

You feel that connection. It's when you are in that mode where you lose all track of time. What is it?

What is it for you? Finding that light is not about understanding something you do not know. It is about uncovering that thing that is already within you.

Wow. So many times people discount that light within them because you see it comes so easily to them, and as graduates working hard, getting through school, sometimes you can come to understand or believe that it must be difficult for it to be of value, but you see, when you discover the light within you, it is that thing that is within you that comes so beautifully naturally. It is that thing that is within you that is effortless because you do it, you are it, and no one does it better than you.

Sometimes in your world, there's value placed on certain roles. There isn't anything more valuable than being who you are, finding who you are, and the path to understanding who you are is to pay attention to what lights you up, and sometimes what lights you up isn't that thing that you have come to believe the world values. Maybe it's not being an investment banker, maybe it's not being a physician or an attorney, an entrepreneur for the next huge business.

Do not undervalue the gift that you have because when you find it and when you share it, nothing is more fulfilling, nothing brings more joy, and no one can do it better than you. Give yourself permission to look within you for who you are, find that light, what lights you up. It is that, it is that that you are to enter the world with and that you are to share with the world.

You are very, very special, and each of you has a light. Your job is to find it, and as parents in the audience watching your child graduate, your job is to help them, support them, allow them to find that light that is within them. As stewards of these beautiful souls, your job is to help them find the light within them, and that light might be something you are unfamiliar with, that light may not come with a job that is obvious, the thing you want more for those you love is for them to be who they are, to thrive, to live with joy, and to give.

Nothing is more important than giving the one you love permission to find the light within themselves. Sometimes it takes courage, but it is always there, and you know it because it feels like coming home.

Mike Lannon

Wow, is this when we throw our caps in the air? Thank you, that was amazing.

The Universe

You're welcome. Congratulations. Welcome to the rest of your life.

Mike Lannon

Well, something, huh? I could totally hear that. Wow.

It's going to be a lot of unhappy parents with hopeful lawyers and bankers as kids.

Mary Obana

Well, I guess as a parent, you just want your kid to be.

Mike Lannon

That was amazing.

Mary Obana

Yeah, it's beautiful.

Mike Lannon

I love that line of, first of all, being versus doing, but that other part about it's not finding who you are as looking outside, it's kind of remembering who it is you are from the inside. That's pretty powerful.

Mary Obana

Yeah.

Mike Lannon

I mean, people spend their entire lives searching outside for who they are.

Mary Obana

Yeah.

Mike Lannon

Very cool. Very cool.

Mary Obana

Yeah.

Mike Lannon

What'd you think?

Mary Obana

I thought it was beautiful. Also, as a reminder, as a parent, because you tend to be like, okay, I just want my kid to be safe, secure.

Mike Lannon

These are all kind of human things.

Mary Obana

Getting them in a track. In the end, I always love that idea of no one can do you better than you. And when you are allowing yourself to be who you are, it's like ...

Mike Lannon

Yeah.

Mary Obana

You know?

Mike Lannon

You know, and the whole idea of everyone is special, everyone is unique, that has kind of taken a very, I don't know, I'm going to say in kind of common vernacular, like that whole snowflake. You know, everyone's special and you have to kind of dance around everyone. This wasn't a, it's a, everyone has to be treated with kid gloves because they're special in a fragile way.

This was a special in a powerful way. Like, you've got a amazing gift that your job is to spread it.

Mary Obana

Yeah.

Mike Lannon

As opposed to sitting there in a chair and being, you know, weighted on. This is about you giving. I thought it was a very empowering way to express that.

So special is, you've got a gift.

Mary Obana

Yeah. You've got a gift. Your job.

Mike Lannon

Your job is to.

Mary Obana

Is to.

Mike Lannon

Maybe that's an interesting thing is, so what's your job out of college? Job number one is to find and give your gift.

Mary Obana

Yeah.

Mike Lannon

Find that gift. That's job number one.

Mary Obana

Yeah. Because that's your job. That's why you're here.

Mike Lannon

That's why you're here. Yeah. Yeah.

Mary Obana

Yeah.

Mike Lannon

Yeah.

Mary Obana

Because if you don't find it and share it, the world goes on without it.

Mike Lannon

Right. No longer you delay that.

Mary Obana

Not only for you, but for the world.

Mike Lannon

Yeah.

Mary Obana

Because it's only you can give that thing.

Mike Lannon

Yeah.

Mary Obana

In that way.

Mike Lannon

Yeah.

Mary Obana

Yeah, it's pretty amazing.

Mike Lannon

All right, good. So we've solved all the anxiety for college graduates this year.

Mary Obana

Exactly.

Mike Lannon

Good.

Mary Obana

Exactly.

Mike Lannon

Good job. Yes, exactly. So, well, I hope you enjoyed this.

I hope it's helpful.

Mary Obana

Yeah.

Mike Lannon

Pass it along if you think someone could.

Mary Obana

Benefit.

Mike Lannon

Benefit from these words.

Mary Obana

Yeah. All right.

Mike Lannon

Okay. See you later.

Mary Obana

See you next time.

Mike Lannon

Bye.