This column, which originally appeared in May 2009, is one of the most requested and reprinted "Succeeding in Your Business" columns, especially during graduation season.

Members of the Class of 2016:

I was sorry to hear that the reality TV star who was scheduled to be your commencement speaker today had to bow out at the last minute. I was delighted, however, when the trustees called me an hour ago and asked me to fill in.

Now, I've never done this before, and I wasn't given a whole lot of guidance, except to tell you to "follow your dreams" and "reach for the stars." Apparently there's a federal law requiring those statements to be included in all graduation speeches.

While I know some of you already have jobs and some (OK, most of you) do not, I know that all of you are wondering today what your lives are going to be like after graduation.

I have two pieces of information for you. They are not fun to talk about, but I feel you need to hear them, and there's no better day than today. First, whatever dreams you hope to accomplish in your lives, you won't be able to achieve them until after you have achieved financial security for yourself and your loved ones. For most of you (unless you were born wealthy, and maybe even then), setting up and holding on to that financial security will be the primary — if not the only — thing you will spend time doing for the next 50 years.

The second thing to know is it has never been a more difficult time to make a decent living in America. I'm not just talking about the current recession or the high unemployment rate. I'm talking about some longer-lasting structural changes in our economy.

It was easy for your grandparents. In those days, you signed up with a large corporation, worked your way up the corporate ladder, and retired at age 65 with a pension, Social Security and a gold watch. You can forget about doing that today.

Years ago, when America dominated the world economy, corporations viewed employees as scarce assets to be cultivated. In today's brutally competitive global economy, they view employees as costs to be reduced or eliminated. If you can buy technology to do what your employees do, you buy the technology and fire the employees. If you must hire people to do a job, you outsource and hire the cheapest labor you can find. And if you must hire Americans, you hire them as independent contractors rather than employees so you don't have to pay them benefits. If you get a job at a large corporation today, odds are you will be unemployed in a few years.

Social Security, Medicare and other government programs that helped your parents and grandparents probably won't be there when you are ready for them (or at least not in their current form).

And if you think you can scale back your expectations and join the blue-collar workforce, well, there's a massive wave of immigrants from Asia, Africa and Latin America who are willing to take those jobs for salaries you won't want to accept.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is only one person you can rely on to help you build your future and success, and that is you. One day, you will find that you are no longer employable, and you will have to build your own career or business. That moment of realization may happen next year; it may not happen until you turn 50. But it will happen someday, so start planning now to take control of your income and your life. You will need to become an entrepreneur whether you like it or not.

I know all of you want to do good for the world, and that's admirable. But charity requires money, too. Ask the president of this college why he spends so much of his time fundraising money from alumni.

If you want to do good for the world, start a business. Provide solutions to peoples' problems — solutions they will be willing pay for — and hire people to help you. Succeed, and your business will make the world a better place — guaranteed. What's more, you will achieve the financial security you need, and you can use whatever money you don't need to make the world an even better place.

I have had the pleasure of working with over 15,000 business owners in my career. They come from all walks of life and backgrounds. The beauty of this wonderful country of ours is that anyone — I mean, anyone — can succeed in business with the right training, the right outlook on life, and the courage and determination to do what others are too afraid or hesitant to accomplish.

So, by all means, reach for the stars and follow your dreams, for without faith, hope and passion, you will never succeed, even if you're as smart as Einstein.

But whatever you do, don't run out of money.

Cliff Ennico (crennico@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist, author and former host of the PBS television series "Money Hunt." This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our Web page at www.creators.com.