Creator of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood which ran for 31 years from when he was 33 to when he was 64, Fred Rogers used his acceptance speech to focus on others rather than himself.

“Even while accepting a reward for his own achievement, he helps everyone think of their lives, their accomplishments, and their loved ones who helped them along the way. The selflessness of Mr. Rogers is beautiful thing.” – whiffster on Reddit

Dave Chapelle is a stand up comedian who was honored for his success with the Mark Twain Prize in 2019. The ceremony is made up of professional comedians talking about Dave, and ends with Dave talking about himself.

What I learned about Dave through the stories his colleagues told of him, and from what he explicitly said during his end of night speech, is that life is about making memories. That is his guiding life philosophy. That is how he makes decisions. That is how he lives his life. And I think it is an idea worth noting, worth sharing with you, worth emulating as well.

Most moments pass by and are nothing special, and if you don’t take action, that’s going to be most of your life. Train your mind to recognize opportunities to get something out of nothing. Look for actions you can take to make a memory out of a situation that otherwise wouldn’t be memorable. Be an active participant in the creation of the memories of your life. Make memories for yourself.