“Fail early and get it all over with,” Swing said, a suggestion that elicited surprised laughter from the audience. “If you learn to deal with failure, you can raise teenagers. You can abide in intimate relationships. And you can have a worthwhile career. You learn to breathe again when you embrace failure as a part of life, not as the determining moment of life.”

He advised graduates to work on their own passions, not someone else’s.

“Whether comedy or faith or youthful idealism—whatever, be an apprentice in something that beckons your heart to pursue with endless fascination,” Swing said. “None of us three was an expert in many things, but all three of us were passionate about one thing. Some unique one thing. My advice to you graduates: Stay with the things that draw you like a magnet. Trust your DNA. Pay attention to your daydreams.”

graduation advice from Rev. William L. Swing, via Not Always On