What do you want to achieve, and are you prepared to work hard to reach that goal? That’s a question every Irish student should ask and answer at some point during their life. The following speech was created with that concept in mind. If you’re not Irish, then you may need to ask your Irish friends to explain some of the jargon.
Embracing Conscious Desire and Effort:
Howya, lads!
So, here we are—college. You’ve made it through the Leaving Cert, enough study grinds to drive anyone mad, and somehow survived the madness of the Irish secondary school system. Now you’re here, on campus, probably thinking, “What now? Is this where I figure out my life, or is this just a longer, more expensive version of Transition Year?”
But let’s be honest, for a lot of us, we wake up in the morning thinking, “I just need a strong cup of tea… and maybe a bit of a nap.”
So, let’s talk about something a bit heavy but super important: conscious desire and effort. I know, I know, it sounds a bit deep, like something you’d hear from your mate after a night out when they’re getting all philosophical over chips and curry sauce. But stay with me.
Basically, conscious desire means knowing what you want, and effort means being willing to actually work for it. I’m not talking about vague stuff like, “I want to be successful.” Sure, everyone wants to be successful, but that’s like saying you want to win the All-Ireland without even knowing how to hold a hurl. You’ve got to know what you’re aiming for. Maybe you want to start a business, get into politics, or become the next YouTube star who also campaigns to save the bogs. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s something that gets you buzzing.
But here’s the thing. Desire on its own won’t get you far. You can sit around all day dreaming of a perfect future, but unless you get up and do something about it, it’s like waiting for the rain to stop in Galway—you’ll be waiting forever! You’ve got to put in effort—real, genuine graft. Now, before you start thinking, “Jaysus, effort? Sure, I’m barely managing to make it to my 9 AM lectures as it is,” I hear you. But here’s the thing: effort isn’t about being perfect all the time. It’s about showing up. It’s about saying, “Right, I’m not sure what the craic is with this assignment or project, but I’m gonna give it a lash.”
And let’s be real, progress doesn’t travel in a straight line. It’s more like trying to get decent Wi-Fi in the back arse of Connemara. Some days you’re flying it, everything’s grand, and then, bam, nothing’s working, and you’re left wondering if anyone’s getting anywhere at all. And that’s okay! That’s part of the process. Growth is messy, like trying to keep a takeaway pizza upright on a rainy night out.
The whole point of conscious desire and effort is that it’s not about being a genius or having it all figured out. It’s about showing up again and again, even when you’re wrecked, or hungover, or fed up. It’s about knowing you can’t control everything, but you can control how hard you work and how much you care about what you’re doing.
Success doesn’t care how many cups of tea you’ve had, or how many times you’ve pressed snooze, or whether you’re living off chicken fillet rolls from Centra. It cares about one thing: whether you’re willing to keep at it, even when it’s tough.
So, as you go through college, remember this: conscious desire and effort are like your mates in this big, mad game of life. One of them’s saying, “I really want this,” and the other’s saying, “Grand, let’s roll up our sleeves and give it a go.” And if you keep both of them with you, sure, you’ll have some tough days, but you’ll also get to where you need to be. Even if the road’s full of potholes.
Now, go out there and give it socks! Just maybe set your alarm, yeah? Can’t be missing too many of those 9 AMs.
P.S. The speech was written for Irish college students. However, the concept can be applied to everyone who has a dream that they want to achieve.
