My niece turned 18 last week and is preparing to graduate High School in about six weeks. While the snarky side of me wants to say, “Congratulations! You just finished the easiest part of your life.” the more mature side of me wondered what advice could I give her. To that end what advice could I give any other graduating senior? What things should they know at this point in their life? What are some things I wish I had known and truly realized at that point in my own life? While not trying to sound like Baz Luhrmann’s spoken word song that came out about the time I was preparing to finish undergrad, I have a few thoughts.
1. No one is coming to save you from your problems. Your life is 100% your responsibility.
2. Your 9-5 is someone else’s passive income. Repeat that to yourself, “Your 9-5 is someone else’s passive income”. Find multiple ways to make money and create your own income streams.
3. Be careful when taking advice from people who aren’t where you want to be in life unless they’re sharing their mistakes and how to avoid them. Yes, that even includes me.
4. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. Leave immediately.
5. When you find someone smarter than you (and you will), work WITH them, don’t compete.
6. Smoking weed adds ZERO benefit to your life. It will only slow your thinking and lower your focus. Any problems you may be facing will still be there.
7. Comfort is the worst addiction and oftentimes the cheapest ticket to depression. Complacency kills!
8. Don’t tell people more than they need to know. Respect YOUR privacy. Respect theirs too.
9. Keep your standards high. Don’t settle for something just because it’s available.
10. What’s cheap isn’t good and what’s good isn’t cheap. Learn the value of something. Just as important, know YOUR value.
11. A family you create is every bit as important as the family you come from.
12. Learn to take nothing personally. It will save you from 99% of mental problems.
Baz was right about the sunscreen by the way!
The Unofficial Ambassador for the State of Texas
