Imagine that, over the weekend, you attended a coworker’s birthday party. During the birthday celebration, your coworker delivered a speech. Which one of the aspects of the speech most appealed to you?

Introduction and conclusion.
Use of direct quotes.
Provide a thorough explanation for your choice. The following is your coworker’s speech.

“I would like to first start by thanking my family, friends, and colleagues who have honored me with their presence today. Over the years, I have learned that there is no specific formula for a long and prosperous life. However, I will share a few of the principles I live by and have found valuable.

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston S. Churchill (1)
“To be gritty is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. To be gritty is to hold fast to an interesting and purposeful goal. To be gritty is to invest, day after week after year, in challenging practice. To be gritty is to fall down seven times, and rise eight.” – Angela Lee Duckworth (2)
“Always be nice to the people you meet on your way up in life as you may meet them again on the way down.” – Jimmy Durante (3)
“When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” – Yogi Berra (4)
“I hope these words of wisdom help you create lives filled with peace, love, and joy. Thank you all for coming to celebrate my special day, and I look forward to our next celebration!”

Respond to at least one of your peers.

Typically, a substantial post consists of 5-7 sentences, and a peer response with 2-4 complete sentences. A substantial discussion forum response should make connections to course content, professional experiences, and personal experiences.

Optional: Continue to hone your oral communication skills by submitting your discussion response as a 1-2 minute video or audio recording. Should you choose this option, you will be graded on your responses just as you would if you responded via text only. You will not be graded on your audio or video performance.