In Others’ Words: 3 Steps to Success for Graduates

It’s that time of year: from kindergarten to college, kids are graduating. 

And, as every graduating class must, students are sitting through speeches where chosen classmates or invited speakers share wisdom with them. Some of these speeches are culled for sound bites — words of wisdom that end up on quote boards for years to come. Like today’s quote by author Nora Ephron, found on a “Top 20 Quotes to Inspire Graduates” list:

“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” 

Put succinctly, to succeed, graduates should:

 go after what they want
ask
and step forward.

 

I already know what I would tell graduates, given the chance. It’s what I wish someone had told me when I was in high school. What I wish I’d thought about while I was in college:

The choices you make now affect you a year from now. Five years from now. And some choices affect you for the rest of your life.

If you realize that one thing — choices change you — well then … everything else falls into place. Not perfectly, no. Because life is never, ever perfect. But some decisions are a whole lot easier.

In Your Words: What would you tell the graduating class of 2015? Pick kindergartners, if you want to. Or middle schoolers. Or high schoolers. Or college graduates. What wisdom has life taught you that you’d share with us — with them — today?

In Others’ Words: 3 Steps to #Success for #Graduates #inotherswords
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What would you tell the graduating class of #2015? #graduates #lifequotes
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