NW Valley Times

Josh Danaher, a former communications professor at Grand Canyon University (GCU), delivered an impactful Commencement address to online and cohort graduates. In his speech, he shared the story of his personal struggles with addiction and how he overcame them through curiosity, connection, and commitment.

Danaher's life has been characterized by an intense drive for success. He once described himself as someone who would run a marathon after a first jog around the block or remodel a kitchen after watching YouTube instructions. However, he later realized that this insatiable curiosity was driven by deep anxiety and discontentment in his own life, which led him to self-medicate through addiction.

In his address, Danaher explained that he learned the hard way that curiosity stemming from restless insecurity can lead to painful places. He arrived at GCU 13 years ago as a 25-year-old communications professor and worked tirelessly to grow the department. However, it was only later that he understood the importance of the people around him.

As he grew older, Danaher's intensity began to manifest in unhealthy ways such as weekend binge drinking. It wasn't until his wife Mindy intervened that he sought help from his church community and a 12-step recovery program. This led him to discover healthier outlets for his intensity such as jogging and CrossFit classes.

During this time of transformation, Danaher's curiosity became more "God-centered." He took up jiu-jitsu in 2019 as a means of increasing self-efficacy and confidence. A year later, he decided to pursue a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at GCU while training to be a Gracie jiu-jitsu instructor.

This journey led him to the second key theme of his speech: connection. Quoting author Susan Scott, Danaher said our lives succeed or fail one conversation at a time. His interactions with the Christian Counseling Services staff sparked an idea to combine what he has learned in communications, Christian counseling, and jiu-jitsu.

The final theme of his speech was commitment. Danaher explained that he once equated commitment with hard work. However, he realized that focusing too much on the big things in life often led him to overlook the small but significant moments in between. He encouraged graduates to embrace a process-focused approach and "hold outcomes lightly."

Danaher concluded his speech by acknowledging God's role in his journey. "God’s commitment to love me and show mercy has brought all these things together in my life, and no amount of commitment on my part could have accomplished it," he said.

Despite pushing the boundaries with a speech that clocked in at over seven minutes, Danaher successfully delivered his message, receiving cheers from the crowd.