To the Graduating Class of 2023

Never forget how you feel right now. At this very moment. You’ve just accomplished a huge goal. You have your entire life ahead of you. Anything you want to do. Anyone you want to be. The future is yours. There’s nothing standing in your way. You are part of the next generation of leaders, critical thinkers, risk-takers, and encouragers. If that doesn’t get your heart racing, nothing will. Be excited. Be a little nervous. Be prepared. All of these emotions that you are being flooded with right now…never forget them.

In a week from now, the excitement will start to fade. In a month’s time, the exhilaration may not be what it once was. In a year, you may forget why or how you were going to change the world. After your first colossal failure in life (and yes, you will have colossal failures in life, but that’s okay. All the great ones do. And they learn from them and become stronger), you may be ready to throw in the towel and just take whatever life decides to throw at you because it’s the more easily traveled road. It’s at these moments I want you to remember how you feel right now.

Remember the enthusiasm you had when you were starting on life’s journey. Recollect on how you were going to change the world and not let it change you. Remind yourself that it’s okay to stumble, but it’s not okay to stop. Too many times as adults, we throw around the word practical. We use it to make ourselves feel better about being sensible, down-to-earth, or realistic. These are three adjectives that at this moment I doubt describe how you feel or what you plan to do to make the world a better place.

You are our future. There is plenty of practical to go around. We need your eagerness, your elation, your joy…the emotions you’re feeling right now. We need you to carry this with you through your life. Real change only happens when we don’t fall into long-lasting routines. If you ever feel yourself slipping into a rut, remember how you feel right now. As I stated earlier, you have your entire life ahead of you at this moment. But guess what, the same can be said about every day for the rest of your life.

Yes, you may make bad decisions. Yes, tragedies may befall you. Yes, worry becomes a part of life. But through it all and in spite of it all, constantly remind yourself of how you feel right now. Graduation provides that rare combination of confidence and humility. Part of you feels invincible and ready to conquer the world and the other part of you recognizes that you’re about to be a very small fish in an extremely large ocean. Balance that feeling of indestructibleness and humility. Both of these attributes will serve you well later in life.

Time will pass as it inevitably does, and faster than you would ever believe. As the great Jimmy Buffet once said, your life will be both magic and tragic. Friends will come and go. Priorities will shift. You’ll learn to not just work hard but to work smart. You’ll experience wins off of which you will build and losses from which you will learn. In all of these times, never forget how you feel right now.

You see, this is one of the most pivotal times in your life. You have the ability to change the world and you believe it. And you should. It’s true. But too often, later in life, we can become jaded. Sure, we’ll continue to tell ourselves that we’re going to change the world. But deep down we no longer believe we can.

Never forget how you feel right now. You know what you’re capable of. You know you have what it takes to make this world a better place. Go and do it. When you succeed, remember the attitude you had starting out and go do it again. When you fail, learn from your mistakes, remember the attitude you had starting out, and go do it again!

Your skill sets will come and go. Your opportunities appear and disappear. Your methods and plans will change. But don’t ever let your attitude waver. The attitude and emotions that you’re filled with today. Let how you feel right now be your guide in life. Be excited about who you are. Be thrilled that you have something new and fresh to offer. Be prepared to succeed and go do.

Never forget how you feel right now. You feel this way for a reason. Go give the world whatever it is you have to offer. God bless you.  And thank you for your contributions.