Jim Carrey surprised graduates at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, with a funny, emotional commencement speech in which he told them a poignant story about his father and urged them to walk their own path in life and never settle.
If you are wondering why Jim Carrey was at the Maharishi University of Management giving the commencement speech and accepting an honorary degree of doctorate of fine arts, the school’s website says that he practices TM and has been to the school before. Last fall, he spoke to students in the David Lynch Masters in Film program, and he has supported the David Lynch Foundation’s initiative to bring TM to at-risk students, war veterans, and women and children who have been subjected to abuse. Last year, Carrey published a children’s book, called “How Roland Rolls“, which the MUM Website says “presents the classical wisdom of Vedanta.” The book is about a wave that is scared of dying when he reaches the shore but realizes that he is just part of the entire ocean.
The high point of the speech was when Carrey talked about his father, who he said had the ability to be a comedian but took the safe employment route and became an accountant but lost his job.
“I learned many, many lessons from my father, but not least of which is that you can fail at something you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance doing what you love.”
Carrey also told the students:
“I’m here to plant a seed today. A seed that will inspire you to go forward in your life with enthusiastic hearts and a clear sense of wholeness. The question is, will that seed have a chance to take root or will I be sued by Monsanto?”
The MUM website says Carrey was honored for “his significant lifetime achievements as a world-renown comedian and actor, artist, author and philanthropist,” including starting The Better U Foundation, which addresses global food security