The 5 Things I Wish I Knew in 2009
The 5 Things I Wish I
Knew in 2009
(My Ode to the High
School Graduates of 2017)
By: Ryan D. Daniels
Times has a funny way of
flying by without us even realizing it until we decide to pop our head up from
whatever task we’ve dedicated ourselves to and we realize that days, weeks,
months, or years have passed by since some significant milestone occurred.
That’s how I feel about my high school graduation. I graduated from high school
on June 9, 2009 and in the eight years that have lapsed since then I have done
a lot of living and a whole lot of learning inside and outside of a classroom.
I remember who my
graduation speaker was but I don’t remember what she spoke about. To be honest,
I feel like most high school graduation speakers rely on the same script: quote
some random current slang or some current hip hop song to seem relatable to
youth, drudge up some old clichés, or use some old anecdotes; sometimes
effectively and sometimes not so effectively. I have been to or livestreamed at
least three high school graduations this weekend alone and for the most part
they followed that formula.
However, I didn’t need
someone to tell me in 2009 that I just needed to hop up out of bed and turn my
“swag” on I wish someone would have told me these five things that I am going
to impart on you in this piece.
Number One: You are
smart, you are wonderfully made, and eventually you’re going to fail- That sounded a tad
bit harsh but it is the truth. We all are intelligent and we all have something
meaningful to contribute to society but at some point or another we are going
to fall short of our goals. However, it’s not about the failure, beloved. No,
it’s about how you respond to your failure. Will you give up? Or will you adopt
a new approach? It is up to you to decide.
Number Two: Figure out
what matters you- In your late teens and into your early twenties life begin
to come at you at a relentlessly fast pace. You’re officially “adulting”; this
can easily become overwhelming and all consuming if you allow it. However, the
stronger your foundation the better prepared you will be to weather the storm.
That means you need to know what keeps your grounded and what matters to you.
When life’s storms are tossing you left and right, on whom or what can you turn
to? What are the unchanging constants in your life that can pull you through?
Is it your family? Is it your friends? Is it your faith?
Number Three: You aren’t
special- Yes,
you’re talented. Yes, you’re wonderfully made. Yes, you’re intelligent. But you
aren’t special. You aren’t special but you are UNIQUE. However, at this very
moment there are literally thousands of valedictorians, salutatorians,
homecoming or prom queens or kings, best dressed, most likely to succeeds,
super star athletes, students with tens of thousands of dollars worth of
scholarships, and the like crossing high school stages across this country. Do
not allow plaudits and awards to define who you are. Be a person of character,
be a person who is a change agent, be someone who advocates for the little guy.
Your high school awards after today mean nothing to anyone but you and your
loved ones. Build your foundation on attributes other than your academic
abilities, your athletic prowess, or your good looks and charm. Ask yourself if
all of that was stripped away who would you be? What is your purpose? And are
you living in your purpose?
Number Four: Don’t lose
yourself- Once
you leave mom and dad’s house and you’re thrust into a new world free of
curfews, free of bedtimes, free of regimented class schedules you are left to
figure out who you are. But do not lose yourself in the process of trying to
figure out who you are. Do not compromise yourself or your home training trying
to be like everyone else. Be okay with saying no to an invite to a party, be
okay with not doing things that go against who you are. You will NEVER find
happiness trying to be someone you’re not.
Number Five: DO NOT
STRIVE TO BE LIKED- Yes,
we all want to be liked, but at what cost? If we always strive to be liked by
everyone around us think about the moral gymnastics and the like which we would
have to subject ourselves to. Always making sure we’re saying the “right”
things even if it feels wrong to us. Never truly and honestly having an opinion
because you want to be accepted. So I say this never strive to be liked but
always strive to be respected. Be steadfast in your beliefs but also be open
minded and open to new possibilities and opportunities. But in the grand scheme
of things never forget who you are.
At the end of the day, I
just wish I would’ve known or heard this: you do matter, you do have a purpose, and
lastly, do not compromise yourself for the comfort of ourselves.
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