wanna hit nothin wanna try to be someone
something is following me these times
are burying me these times are carrying
me over the edge and I still gonna fly
right get out of my sight I try to be
perfect the spot on my failings I’m
flailing hit you in the nose running
mate to my balance this lumpy walk is
the challenge civilized and savage I am
and neither one is this a better back le
cheetah we are so fragile don’t you
agree afraid of failure so we don’t push
and we don’t bring everything to the
party if I don’t try I won’t lose
win and I’m hirakud lamenting the
singles I’ve watched my last chip help
the heaviest things off friends one day
the next away enemies why you get me
wrong you did me wrong but you didn’t
know so what my father down the kids
obviously cut to stopping the makeup I’m
holding the grudge go ahead and judge me
go ahead and touch me on my shoulders
now tell me the balance at be over one
let’s go where you’re at we’re walking a
tightrope go more high above the ground
on a tightrope look at me I’m a clown
not an acrobat one misstep I’m coming
down and ain’t no net just set myself up
gonna set myself up try to be flawless
despite on my imperfections this could
all be gone in an instant reach the
summit and bounce else in the world and
the walking all pretty curses hey some
painting my vs system balloon is
bursting walking a tightrope or King
[Music]
my name is John he’s Simba I’m an
administrator in higher education I got
a degree in aerospace engineering from
the University of Colorado Boulder got
an MBA worked as an engineer for ball
aerospace and technologies corporation
doing structural analysis did a stand at
a high tech company in digital to ad
insertion and I came to colorado school
of mines in october of two thousand and
i’m currently the assistant dean of
graduate studies I say currently because
we’ll see how this talk goes if they
asked me back on Monday hello I’m
Providence diverse Leone I’m an MC a
lyricist the frontman for electro
hip-hop group out of Denver called
reverb in the verse in 2001 we released
our first album called retake the art
2005 are released two solo EP called the
domino theory and as we bourbon the
verse we’ve released seven albums our
latest called v / / was released this
year februari 14th I’m Jackie and I am
Providence and I’m here to inspire you
now I can see there’s some skepticism
out there some of you crossing your arms
got that duck face going
I dare you to inspire me jaha your
Providence or whatever you’re calling
yourself I want to inspire you once you
inspire you by this idea when I grasped
a hold of it helped to transform me into
the person I am today so three letter
word and that word is and and will
represent it as a slash jockey /
Providence when I was a graduate school
I took a class in business preparation
and was fortunate to sit in on a lecture
given by Jim Collins who had written
this book built to last successful
habits of visionary companies now if
you’re interested in business and being
a CEO entrepreneurship is a fantastic
book i recommended i would like to focus
in on chapter three of the book which is
titled more than profits and as sore as
a prelude to the chapter he talked about
what he called the tyranny of or versus
the genius of an in the idea when it
comes to corporations me give you an
example we could be a high quality
company or we can be low cost we can
maximize profits for our shareholders or
we can save the world and a highly
visionary company which you would say is
highly successful company figured out
how to merge these sort of dichotomous
ideas and the concept is a symbol that
you may know the yin and yang which is
sort of the Chinese dualistic symbol
philosophy let me read a little bit from
the book we’re not talking about mere
balance here balance implies going to
the midpoint fifty-fifty half and a half
a highly visionary company doesn’t want
to blend yin and yang into a gray and
distinguishable circle
that is neither highly yen nor highly
young it aims to be distinctly yen and
distinctly young both at the same time
all the time irrational perhaps rare yes
difficult absolutely and we as
individuals can do that what is it for
you what is your end engineering
students great engineering student and I
want to be a great athlete I want to be
CEO of a company and I want to be a
great parent I want to be a fantastic
scientist so now I want to be fantastic
golfer what is it for you I know what it
is for me I want to be in the education
business for the rest of my life I love
working with students I love working
with faculty I love teaching and I love
learning I want to be in the education
business for the rest of my life I want
to be the in the entertainment business
for the rest of my life I want to be a
rock star for the rest of my life
something you like you’re not a rock
star now
thank you I understand what I’ve what
what I want to go and it’s in this word
educated that’s for me in early 1990s
when hip-hop was sort of growing as
hip-hop group out of New York Boogie
Down Productions came out with this
album entitled entertainment which is
the perfect blend in my mind of
education and entertainment it was like
a bright light you put that together
with my time and graduate school and I
had something that’s what I want to be
like ke RS one I actually met Harris one
when I was in college there’s me that
look similar has a long time ago what is
it for you the and because oftentimes
engineering students although it may not
be set in your classrooms there’s the
idea that you can do this as an engineer
or you can do that what is your and how
are we going to get to this and because
we know two ideas living together like
the yin and yang is not easy it’s
difficult here’s how we’re going to do
it you have to have a vision where do
you see yourself what are these ideas
and your head call it a dream you need a
vision you need to start somewhere you
must have discipline we must have
discipline if we’re moving in these
directions that seem dichotomous how do
we help develop our discipline by
building routine what are we doing on a
daily weekly monthly yearly basis to
help forward ourselves towards our
dreams build a routine and also we need
to find efficiencies in a routine
January first everybody’s got a routine
right you use resolution I’m gonna work
out two hours a day seven days a week
how long does that last if we find
efficiencies in that because i love the
fact you gonna go out and start working
out
but if you can find efficiencies okay
what can I do on a daily basis 10
minutes 20 minutes 30 minutes I try to
practice piano 15 minutes a day i’m not
a piano player but that is my goal
that’s the baseline I might do more than
that find efficiencies seek out and
accept coaching mentoring if I think I
have it all figured out as an
administrator as a MC I’m lost I’m done
I can’t grow any further I have a piano
teacher I have plenty of mentors in the
administrative field I learned from them
daily don’t worry about humbling
yourself and saying I don’t know ask
seek help of course you must read I’m a
big fan of reading anything fiction
nonfiction science magazines this mine
is elastic the more that you put in it
the more it can grow and be creative one
of my goals is to read at least two
pages every day yes I go old school and
I read a book pages but I don’t care
read from your tablet your phone from
the computer read and of course embrace
the concept of and if you feel out there
is this opposing force I can do this or
I can do that try to think about how we
can do this together and be an end
entertainment and education and of
course you must have passion I’m
certainly don’t want you to be doing
things that you’re not interested in
that doesn’t last very long if you have
passion you have a chance to become the
and that we’re talking about a slash I
was inspired by a faculty member on
campus dr. Neil Sullivan who is a
professor mechanical engineering he’s
also the director of the Colorado fuel
cell center and he’s a pretty doggone
good piano player and I said a couple
years ago when he did a concert in the
library that I’m going to take some
lessons and I’m going to see if I can
play piano as well so this one goes out
no one sounds funny but I just can’t
stand the pain
girl I’m leaving you tomorrow seems to
me girl you know it done all I can
[Music]
you see a big storm in a barroom yeah
who’s Juan easy
Oh
blah
Oh
[Music]
[Music]
just me
[Music]
you
[Music]
oh yeah I appreciate that Beavis be that
thank you [Applause]