Published: May 24, 2006 04:01 pm            

MCDONALD: Graduates, surround yourself with success

“Oh, the places you’ll go!”

— Dr. Seuss

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To all of those young people graduating from high school and college, you have a lot of places to go. And you will find that not to anyone’s surprise that life is not fair. You will also find that to succeed, you must continue to learn from mistakes and build your body of knowledge.

When I graduated from high school 32 years ago, I rejected the advice of those around me as I knew what was best for me. What did those old folks (40s and 50s) know about me? Well, as I am now one of those old folks, it turns out knew quite a bit.

First of all, if the older folks (I hate using the word older now) offer sound advice that you do not want to take; they offer it because they love and care about what happens to you. They are also probably trying to save you from 32 years of their mistakes. No one wants to see someone they care about make mistakes that will cause them pain. So cut the old folks some slack.

Secondly, as you either enter college, trade school, or the work force, you need to build a support team around you. Your parents, family and teachers, hope that as you leave school that you have learned enough from your education, upbringing and your experiences (limited as they have been) to recognize the difference between right and wrong choices and can learn from the wrong choices when you make them.

Your support team will be vital to your success. If you surround yourself with individuals who are negative, self destructive and are without direction you soon will be headed down their pathway.

The building of your support team will include making some hard choices. You will have to separate yourself from people that you may have associated with in high school. These people may have been fun to be around but have no direction in their lives or are involved in activities that may not be conducive to success.

Your support team will include friends with goals and ambitions, former teachers, parents and family. These people should be chosen for their sound judgment and their ability to tell you what you need to hear not what they think you want to hear. Find a former teacher, coach, or family member or friend that can serve as a mentor

I know this will sound old fashioned and perhaps basic, but perfect your manners. When it comes down to it, good manners will often get you further in life than intellect and talent. Always thank someone who made time in their schedules to meet with you. This has special relevance when it comes to job interviews. The moment you leave that interview, you should find a thank you note, address it, add a personal thought from the interview and send it immediately. Hand-written notes are few and far between in these days of Blackberrys, Palm Pilots and e-mail. That simple gesture will set you apart.

Be a continual learner. Be curious about the world around you. Try to learn something new each day. Be aware that you must continue to learn new things as you will likely have more than three separate careers and at least fifteen different jobs throughout your lifetime. Learn because you are interested and curious. Our education system in recent years has done you a huge disservice. Policies have almost dictated that you learn for the sake of passing a test. Read for your own knowledge and you will find that it is not only informative but enjoyable and rewarding.

Lastly, be humble and always try to serve others in whatever you do in life. Success is not about money and things, they don’t last. Remember what Ralph Waldo Emerson said about success:

What is Success? by Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and much

To win the respect of intelligent people

And the affection of children

To earn the appreciation of honest critics

And endure the betrayal of false friends

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life had breathed easier because you have lived

This is to have succeeded.

Tim McDonald is a local educator and President of the Institute for Global Studies He can be reached at AGlobalInstitute @ aol.com

        

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