Advice for the Graduates (And Maybe All of Us)

(Photo Courtesy of Chad Johnson)

Graduation Time!!  Congratulations to the Carlisle Class of 2013.  Good Luck as you move on to the next phase of your life and begin to chart the course for your future.  Your journey will contain many things, many emotions, and many twists and turns.  It is our hope that some of the things you've experienced by being a part of athletics and activities will help you navigate through with some of the life decisions you will make in years to come.

Some of the qualities that we hope were developed and taught were personal responsibility for decisions and actions, the value of hard work, and the value of being a part of a team or group and doing your job, or role, the best that you can.  Values like that are what people, your future employers are looking for.  Yes, your education and "book smarts" are very important, but the people skills and the integrity with which you live your life are equally, if not more important, in my opinion.

So, if I were to give three pieces of advice here's what I'd offer.

1 - Find what you're passionate about and seek to make that your life work.  The goal is to not feel like you have to go to work a day in your life.  Think about what your strengths are and use them.  Chances are it points to what you're passionate about.

2 - Don't rush.  Enjoy the process.  You can't have right away what your parents, or other adults, have worked a lifetime to get.   This may be a job, the place they live, and some of the things they are able to do.  Good things take time.  What you've been put here to do may take some time too.  Learn from every experience and don't waste the bad ones.

3 - Treat others how you want to be treated.  You know, the Golden Rule that I talked about with Kindergarten classes when I taught elementary P.E. isn't a bad way to live.  Whatever you do, wherever you go, put others ahead of yourself.  Your family, your friends, your coworkers, even the people that are difficult.

Good Luck Class of 2013.

#wildcatpride