Congratulations to all the high school graduates. By now, you have walked across the stage, before your classmates, teachers, administrators and family, shook hands with a figure of authority and received your high school diploma.
This much is certain — a major milestone in your life has been achieved and you should be proud of the accomplishment and enjoy some time celebrating safely and hopefully enjoying some relaxation along the way.
Graduating high school essentially serves as the ending to one chapter in the book that is your life journey. You have been expected to graduate high school since your parents enrolled you in school years ago. All things led to this, what happens next is up to you. For most, it means college of some sort. With that comes pressure to succeed and make your parents proud and justify the thousands of dollars they or the government are investing in you. It’s this next chapter that will likely determine who you are as a person.
You have received a lot of advice over the last few weeks, particularly at your commencements. Undoubtedly, you have heard several speeches and numerous words of counsel. Clearly, you listened to some of what was said and maybe even took a few pieces of encouragement to heart. Along those lines, here are a few more words of advice and some general thoughts:
Be flexible: What gives young people an edge in this world is their adaptability. You are way too young to possess too many bad habits. Even those of you who have a few behavior quirks that need to be kicked, it should not be too difficult so long as you are open to change and may-be some criticism. Many young people complain they are not taken seriously. Unfortunately, that’s often the case, largely because you think you know everything. You can buck this trend by proving adept at juggling a variety of things at one time and being open to learning new things.
Don’t be arrogant: You do not know enough about the world to be conceited. You will make many mistakes and misjudgments. It’s part of the path to being successful. Being supercilious will only lead you astray and waste time. You only get one chance to make a first impression.
Do be excited: It’s an exhilarating time for you, and it’s okay to show your true emotions. Excitement shows honesty, which is never a bad trait.
Don’t be entitled: More than likely, life is not going to work out exactly the way you hope all the time. In fact, there will be curve balls, both professionally and personally. Bad things will happen to you. Exactly how you deal with them will say a lot about your character. You will need to possess a will to succeed and the strength to prosper through difficult times, which are inevitable.
What happens next is your call. This is the beginning of what should be the best years of life. You will never forget the last chapter of your life. Take what you have learned and apply it near and far with confidence and poise.
