Every spring I write a letter to my graduating seniors, trying to be encouraging and give them a few last pieces of life advice before they leave high school behind. Here is a copy of this year’s letter:
Class of 2018, May 25, 2018
One chapter of your life is ending and another is beginning. Some would say your entering the “real world” now, or that now you have to go “adult” all the time. Those people would be only partially correct. You do have to go adult now, well some of you, others your parents might still be taking care of you, but you have always been in the real world. It’s just that your perception of the “real world” has changed as you’ve grown, learned and matured.
As you graduate,I want to explain to you some of what I mean with my weekend homework assignment and how it can be applied to your entire life.
Have Fun:
Enjoy every second of your life, you’ve only got one. Everyone has to work, pay bills, and face uncertain, scary times, but even then it’s possible to have fun, you just have to remember to. You can go to work or school everyday and hate it or enjoy it, the choice is yours.
Be Safe:
You only have one life, be safe and take care of it. Follow the rules that are meant for your safety and others, including, but not limited to, the following:
- driving the speed limit
- Wearing your seatbelt
- Not driving under the influence of any substance.
- Wearing a life jacket when boating
- Using a parachute when jumping out of planes
You get the idea.
Make Good Choices:
This pertains to everything.
Make good choices with who you choose to be friends with. Surround yourself with people who want you to be the best possible version of yourself, not people who tear you down, make you unhappy or encourage you to be unsafe and make bad choices.
Make good choices with what you choose to put into your body. Healthy food leads to a healthy, happy life. Keep as many processed chemicals out of your system as you can. Learn how what you put into your body affects you and stay away from the things that have a negative affect on you.
Most importantly, make good choices about who you are and who you want to be. Figure out what it will take for you to become the best you possible and choose to work towards that end. You have tremendous potential to accomplish amazing things in your life from earning a high school diploma to creating a cure for cancer and everything in between. You are capable of anything you choose, so make good choices.
Have Fun, Be Safe, Make Good Choices,