SPEECH BELHAVEN UNIV COMMENCEMENT 16 DEC 2017

SUNNY PARK SPEECH BELHAVEN UNIV COMMENCEMENT 16 DEC 2017

WOW, HOW DO I LOOK?

I AM NOW ONE OF YOU! A BLAZER! YOU ARE ALL MEGNIFICENT!

I AM EXCITED TO BE JOINING THE GREEN TEAM!

THANK YOU, DR. PARROTT, FOR YOUR KIND INTRODUCTION AND WARM WELCOME! AND THANKS ALSO FOR THIS GOWN.

I AM HONORED TO RECEIVE AN HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM BELHAVEN, AND I ACCEPT THE INVITATION TO BE A MEMBER OF BELHAVEN UNIVERSITY.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, DR. PARROTT, AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES!

MY LATE MOTHER TAUGHT ME THAT I MUST DO MY BEST IN WHATEVER I DO, SO I DETERMINED THAT I WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT JANITOR—AND I GUESS I AM! NOT MANY JANITORS HAVE HONORARY DOCTORATE…..

I DO NOT KNOW WHAT GOD’S INTENTION TO BRING ME TO BELHAVEN IS;

BUT I AM SURE THAT HE HAS PLANS TO USE SOME OF MY ABILITIES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF BELHAVEN STUDENTS. PRAISE GOD!

SOME OF YOU MAY THINK FROM TIME TO TIME THAT LIFE IS NOT FAIR.

YOU HAD TO INVEST YEARS OF HARD WORK, STUDY, AND RESEARCH TO EARN YOUR BACHELOR’S DEGREE OR MASTER’S DEGREE.

BUT I AM GETTING A DOCTORATE WITH JUST A 20-MINUTE SPEECH. IT SURE DOESN’T SOUND FAIR.

HOWEVER, I WILL NOW GIVE YOU SOME TIPS AND HINTS TO HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR DEGREE FROM BELHAVEN, WHICH IS ALREADY A GREAT HONOR AND ACCOMPLISHMENT. HOPEFULLY THAT MAKES US ALL FAIR AND SQUARE.

TALKING ABOUT FAIR: WHEN YOU SEE A TURTLE SITTING PROUDLY ON A FENCE POST, YOU SURELY KNOW THAT THE TURTLE DIDN’T MAKE IT TO THE TOP ALL ALONE.

NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO RECOGNIZE YOUR TEACHERS AND YOUR PARENTS, YOUR SPOUSE IF YOU HAVE ONE, YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS, THE BELHAVEN COMMUNITY, AND—MOST OF ALL—OUR GOD, WHO HAS ENERGIZED US IN EVERY WAY.

WOULD YOU RECOGNIZE THEM WITH A THUNDEROUS ROUND OF APPLAUSE? LIFT UP OUR GOD!

I LOVE BELHAVEN UNIVERSITY!

I WAS HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME ON JUNE 27 OF LAST YEAR WHEN DR. BILLY KIM INVITED ME TO THE GRAND OPENING CEREMONY OF THE BILLY KIM INTERNATIONAL CENTER, A BEAUTIFUL NEW FACILITY IN THE CENTER OF THE BELHAVEN CAMPUS.

I ASKED DR. KIM, WHO IS MY HERO,

“WHY DID YOU CHOOSE BELHAVEN, WHICH IS SO FAR AWAY FROM SOUTH KOREA?”

HE SAID WITHOUT HESITATION: IT IS ALL ABOUT DR. PARROTT.

DR. KIM BECAME A FAN OF DR. PARROTT WHEN THEY MET FOR THE FIRST TIME. HE LOVES DR. PARROTT’S PASSION REGARDING HIS BELHAVEN STUDENTS.

I, TOO, SAW THE SAME PASSION OF DR. PARROTT FOR HIS BELHAVEN STUDENTS. YOU ARE TRULY BLESSED!

CLASS OF 2017!

YOU ARE OPENING ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING CHAPTERS OF YOUR LIFE.

THE WORLD NEEDS YOU, AND THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR YOU!

IT IS TIME TO MAKE THE MOST OF WHAT YOU LEARNED, AND IT IS ALSO TIME TO COLLECT YOUR REWARDS!

DR. PARROTT CALLED ME A FEW MONTHS AGO AND ASKED ME WITH YOU ALL AND FIRE YOU UP—TO GIVE YOU SOME STIMULATION AND TO BOOST YOUR EGOS ON THIS IMPORTANT DAY.

WHAT DR. PARROTT REALLY WANTS TO ACCOMPLISH TODAY AS HE RELEASES YOU TO THE OPEN SEA IS:

“LISTEN TO A BROKEN-ENGLISH-SPEAKING ASIAN IMMIGRANT BRAG ABOUT HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS. LET HIM PUMP YOU UP SO THAT YOU WILL DETERMINE TO MAKE YOUR LIFE EVEN GRANDER THAN HIS IS.”

IN SHORT, HE THINKS IF ANYHTING SUNNY CAN, YOU CAN!

SO, HERE I AM. THINK OF ME LIKE A QUARTERBACK, AND I HAVE A FEW PASSES TO THROW AT YOU.

THINK OF YOURSELF LIKE A WIDE RECEIVER. YOU MUST PAY FULL ATTENTION TO WHERE THE BALL GOES TO MAKE YOUR OWN TOUCHDOWN.

HERE WE GO!

I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN SOUTH KOREA. I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES WITH $200 IN MY POCKET. I CAME HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT THIS COUNTRY—A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY—OFFERS, AND TO ENJOY FREEDOM.

AS I MOVE TO THE U. S., I DETERMINED TO BE LIKE MY IDOL, ANDREW CARNEGIE, A FELLOW IMMIGRANT FROM SCOTLAND IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY. HE IMMIGRATED TO THE US WITH HIS FAMILY AT AGE 9, WITH NO MONEY. HE HELPED HIS MOTHER WORK AT A BOBBIN FACTORY AS A YOUNG BOY. VERY POOR FAMILY IN PITTSBURG AREA.

AS YOU KNOW, HE BECAME THE KING OF STEEL, AS THE OWNER OF U.S. STEEL, AND HE BUILT 2,509 LIBRARIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

HE WAS A GREAT PHILANTHROPIST WHO HELPED PEOPLE LEARN—AND TO LEARN TO MAKE A LIVING.

I THOUGHT TO MYSELF: WHATEVER MR. CARNEGIE DID, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO, EXCEPT FOR THE SMOKING AND DRINKING. TODAY, I’M NOT THE KING OF STEEL, BUT I AM A KING OF CLEANING.

AS I SETTLED IN THIS NEW LAND, I SET A FEW GOALS. ONE OF THEM IS THAT I WOULD BE ONE OF THE BEST CITIZENS THIS NATION HAS EVER HAD.

ABOUT 15 YEARS AFTER I MOVED TO THE US,      MY PATRIOTISM FOR THIS GREAT COUNTRY WAS RECOGNIZED WITH AWARDS LIKE THE USO PATRIOT AWARD, THE AMERICANISM MEDAL, AND THE PATRICK HENRY TROPHY.

ONE OF MY OTHER GOALS WAS TO MAKE ENOUGH MONEY IN THIS LAND OF OPPORTUNITY TO PAY $1 MILLION OR MORE IN ANNUAL INCOME TAX.

IN MY EARLY DAYS IN THIS COUNTRY, THE LIST OF THE HIGHEST U. S. TAXPAYERS’ WAS AN INSPIRATION TO ME. WHAT I FOUND OUT THAT MANY OF THOSE HIGHEST TAX PAYERS BACKGROUNDS ARE NORMAL AS ANYONE I KNOW. THEY DIDN’T HAVE HORNS OR TAILS BUT JUST LIKE YOU AND ME. I MADE A BOLD DECISION TO BE ON THAT LIST ONE DAY.

MAKING SUCH COMMITMENTS WHILE EARNING ONLY $1.80 AN HOUR AS A JANITOR SOUNDS CRAZY. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

DO YOU JNOW WHAT? IT TOOK ME ONLY 17 YEARS TO REACH THAT GOAL! HOW ABOUT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THIS BRAGGER?

GOD IS AMAZING! AND THE U. S. IS A GREAT COUNTRY! I SET A GOAL TO PAY $1 MILLION IN ANNUAL INCOME TAX, AND GOD HAS HELPED ME—HAS MADE ME—ACHIEVE THAT GOAL. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE U. S. IS ONLY PLACE I COULD DO THAT.

FROM TIME TO TIME I WOULD THINK: WHY DIDN’T I SET A GOAL OF PAYING $1 BILLION IN TAX? I WOULD HAVE BEEN A THOUSAND TIMES LARGER A BUSINESSMAN, LIKE MR. ANDREW CARNEGIE.

I GUARANTEE THAT GOD WOULD HAVE MADE ME A MUCH LARGER BUSINESS OWNER IF I RAISED THE BAR TO $1 BILLION TAX TO PAY.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!

ARE YOU LAUGHING AT ME SAYING THIS?

I AM SAYING THAT MY SUCCESS OR FAILURE IS TOTALLY UP TO ME—NOT MY BOSSES, NOR MY FRIENDS, NOR MY MENTORS, BUT UP TO ME ALONE!

I AM THE DRIVER OF MY LIFE!

THINK ABOUT THIS! $1B IS 1,000 TIMES LESS THAN $1T. IT IS NO DIFFERENT THAN $1,000 TO A MAN HAVE $1.

I USE MONEY TO MEASURE MY SUCCESS BECAUSE I AM A BUSINESSMAN. I AM SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS WAYS TO MAKE LIFE HAPPY, PROUD AND SUCCESSFUL. ALTIMATELY, GLORIFY OUR GOD!

I ONCE WAS A DREAMER, EVEN THOUGH MY LATE MAMA TAUGHT ME TO BE AN ACHIEVER. SHE TOLD ME THAT DREAMERS OFTEN FALL ASLEEP.

I ONCE SPENT TIME DREAMING ABOUT IF MY RICH RELATIVES OR MY RICH FRIENDS WOULD SHARE THEIR WEALTH WITH ME.

OH MAN, AM I GLAD I DIDN’T HOLD MY BREATH!

I WAS STILL SO ASHAMED OF MYSELF, AS I WAS THINKING LIKE A BEGGAR. MY ALMIGHTY GOD HAD ALREADY PROVIDED ALL THE TOOLS I NEEDED: MY BRAIN TO THINK, MUSCLES TO ACT, LEGS TO REACH, A HEART SO THAT I WOULD MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.

GOD ALSO SUPPLIES ME WITH 24 NEW HOURS EVERY DAY—ALL FOR FREE. GOD GIVES ME MORE THAN ENOUGH TO MAKE MY LIFE GRANDER.

ALL I NEED TO DO IS MAKE THE MOST OF THOSE TOOLS, ESPECIALLY TIME!

I WOKE UP ONE DAY FROM DREAM, AND STARTED USING THE TOOLS GOD GAVE ME. ELBOW GREASE WAS ONE OF MAJOR TOOLS!

I STARTED GENERAL BUILDING MAINTENANCE IN 1983, AT THE AGE OF 39. THAT COMPANY HAS NOW GROWN TO BECOME ONE OF THE TOP 25 JANITORIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE US.

YOU MAY AGREE WITH ME THAT I AM ONE OF MANY EXAMPLES THAT THE UNITED STATES IS THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY! NO WHERE IN THE WORLD LIKE IT!

IF ANYONE TELLS YOU AMERICA IS NO LONGER A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY, YOU HAD BETTER RUN FROM THAT PERSON AS FAST AS YOU CAN, BECAUSE HE AIN’T YOUR FRIEND.

TO BUILD A COMPANY AND MAKE ENOUGH PROFIT TO PAY $1 MILLION IN INCOME TAX EVERY YEAR, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WAS NOT EASY.

I HAD TO WORK EXTRA HARD EVERY DAY, LOSING A LOT OF FAMILY TIME AND WEEKEND GETAWAYS. SOME PEOPLE CALL IT SACRIFICE, BUT I CALL IT AN INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT?

WORKING 75 HOURS PER WEEK DIDN’T BREAK MY BONES!

IT ACTUALLY HELPED ME TO MAINTAIN GOOD HEALTH. IN FACT, I ALSO SAVED A FEW DOLLARS ON MEMBERSHIP FEES TO HEALTH CLUBS.

I NEEDED TO SAVE THAT SO I COULD PAY MORE TAXES.

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SOME PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT MY FIRST DAY IN THE US.

HOW COULD A FOREIGNER WHO SPEAKS NO ENGLISH FIND A PLACE TO LIVE, FIND A DESCENTJOB, MAKE FRIENDS, AND REGISTER FOR SCHOOL?

I LANDED AT THE INDIANAPOLIS AIRPORT AT 2 PM ON SEPTEMBER 5, 1974, AND HAD FOUND A JOB BY 4 PM THAT SAME DAY. I WASTED NO TIME!

I BECAME A JANITOR AT A STEAKHOUSE AND STARTED CLEANING THE KITCHEN FLOOR THAT VERY NIGHT. AFTER SEVEN HOURS ENTERED TO THE U. S. AIRSPACE, I WAS MAKING 41.80 AN HOUR WHICH IS ABOUT $10 TODAY.

I WORKED THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT. REPORTED TO WORK AT 11 AT NIGHT AND CHECKED OUT BY 7 THE NEXT MORNING.

I WORKED VERY HARD CLEANING THOSE RESTAURANT KITCHEN FLOOR TILES. ONCE THEY HAD BEEN COVERED WITH THICK, BLACK LAYERS OF ANIMAL FAT, BUT AFTER I GOT THERE, THEY WERE CLEAN AS A HOTEL LOBBY.

I TREATED THAT NIGHT-SHIFT CLEANING JOB WITH RESPECT—AS AN ASSIGNMENT OF GOD! I DID MY BEST.

BESIDES, I DIDN’T WANT MY EMPLOYER, WHO PROVIDED ME A GOOD JOB, TO EVER LOSE MONEY ON ME. I DIDN’T WANT TO BE A TAKER, BUT A GIVER, AS MY MAMA TOLD ME.

NOW, THE REAL STORY I WANT TO SHARE!

REMEMBER WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS IN JOB 8:7?

YOUR BEGINNINGS WILL SEEM HUMBLE, SO PROSPEROUS WILL YOUR FUTURE BE.

TRUE AS ALWAYS! NINE YEARS LATER IN 1983, I STARTED A JANITORIAL SERVICE CONTRACTING BUSINESS. YES, A JANITOR BECAME AN OWNER OF A LARGE JANITORIAL SERVICE COMPANY.

MY SPEECH TODAY HAS COVERED SOME OF THE BRIGHT SIDES OF MY LIFE.

I AM SURE SOME OF YOU EXPERIENCE DIFFICULT TIMES. MAYBE YOUR ISSUES ARE RELATED TO YOUR FAMILY, FINANCES, HEALTH, OR FRIENDS.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I HAD DIFFICULT TIMES AS WELL.

BEFORE I STARTED MY JANITORIAL SERVICE COMPANY, I WAS A LIFE INSURANCE SALESMAN FOR THE NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY. MY WIFE GAVE BIRTH TO A CHILD, A PRECIOUS SON, BUT SHE DIED 106 DAYS LATER.

I RAISED AN INFANT BABY, AND A FOUR-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, AND RAN TO TWO JOBS FOR EIGHT YEARS ALL BY MYSELF.

YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE LIFE EXPERIENCE OF A SINGLE FATHER WITH VERY LITTLE INCOME, RUNNING AROUND TO MULTIPLE BABYSITTERS, DROP OFF THE OLDER CHILD TO SCHOOL, HURRYING TO THE HOSPITAL WHEN MY BABY WAS SICK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, CHANGING THE DIAPERS, DEALING WITH A BABY WITH A FEVER. IT WAS A LITTLE HASSLE.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT?

I NEVER FELT HARDSHIP DURING THOSE YEARS. RATHER, I ENJOYED RAISING MY KIDS. IN FACT, I WAS ENJOYING TESTING MYSELF TO SEE HOW FAR I COULD GO!

IT IS UP TO ME TO MAKE MY SITUATION PLEASANT OR DIFFICULT. IT IS ALL UP TO ME TO CONTROL THE SITUATION.

OF COURSE, GOD WAS THERE EVERY TIME I PRAYED. PRAISE GOD!

GRADUATES . . .

SUCCESS IN ANY FIELD IS DOABLE! IF YOU EVER DISAPPOINTED AT YOURSELF, THINK ABOUT MY OTHER IDOL, THE LATE TRUETT CATHY, FOUNDER OF CHICK-FIL-A RESTAURANTS, HE WROTE HIS FIRST BOOK IN 1989. THE TITLE: IT IS EASIER TO SUCCEED THAN TO FAIL, I LOVE THE BOOK TITLE.

MR. CATHY BELIEVED THAT SUCCESS IS POSSIBLE FOR ANYONE WHEN THEY DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR OTHERS PERSISTENTLY.

MR. CATHY WROTE OTHER BOOKS, TOO, AND ALL OF THEM ARE GREAT. INSPIRE MORE PEOPLE IS THE ONE I’D MOST LIKE FOR YOU TO READ.

ACTUALLY, I BROUGHT THAT BOOK FOR YOU. PLEASE TAKE ONE ON YOUR WAY OUT AS MY GRADUATION GIFT.

GRACIOUSLY, DAN CATHY, MR. CATHY’S SON AND NOW CEO OF CHICK-FIL-A, HAS ALSO SENT ALL OF YOU A GIFT CARD FOR A FREE CHICK-FIL-A SANDWICH AS A WAY TO CONGRATULATE EACH OF YOU ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

PLEASE THANK DAN CATHY WHEN AND IF YOU MEET HIM SOME DAY.

BEFORE I CONCLUDE MY SPEECH, I WANT TO SUM UP MY MESSAGES FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO SLEPT DURING MY SPEECH. I ALSO HOPE YOU BROUGHT YOUR NOTE BOOK TO WRITE IT DOWN.

ARE YOU LISTENING?

1.   IN ORDER TO HAVE MORE OF THE GOOD THINGS IN YOUR LIFE:

TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. (MATTHEW 7:12)

IF YOU PLANT CORN, YOU WILL HARVEST CORN. WHEN YOU PLANT A GRACEFUL SEED, YOU WILL HARVEST GRACEFUL CROPS IN ONE HUNDRED FOLD.

JESUS ASSURED IT IN MARK 10:31, AND I EXPERIENCED IT.

2.   IF YOU EVER FEEL YOU ARE UP AGAINST A WALL AND HAVE NO WAY TO GET OUT, DON’T SIT THERE LIKE A DOUNTED PERSON. PRAY TO GOD FIRST, AND THINK OF ME. IF ANYTHING SUNNY CAN, YOU CAN!

MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU, AND HAVE VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!