Your life truly is in front of you
- Bryan Schaaf
- May 31, 2018
- 1706
By the time this goes to print, a good number of high school seniors will no longer be high school students at all.
Sure, this week you’re probably lounging at home enjoying a brief respite between your last classes and your cap and gown ceremony, but it’s likely the full gravity of what lies ahead really isn’t going to hit you until after the graduation fanfare.
That’s when it becomes crystal clear: Life as you’ve known it for the majority of your existence is about to drastically change.
As one who’s spent the last 12 years of my life watching young people I coach go through this process, I feel the need to perhaps offer some guidance to those of you beginning to question what’s next.
So that, at its crux, is what I’m going to be getting at this week.
Step 1: Cut the cord. You’ve spent the last four years doing pretty much the same routine with the same friends in the same building. Sure, you’re probably a little taller, a little more clear-skinned and clear-minded as to how the world works now, but with maturity comes the ability to understand when enough is enough. And the day you receive your diploma is a pretty clear indicator that you’ve had enough.
So I implore you to get out and see the world. Don’t be the 20-something who still hangs out at high school football games in his or her letter jacket, hoping for an invitation to homecoming. It’s a bad look. There’s a whole sea of experiences and possibilities before you. So get away from your school and embrace them before it’s too late.
Step 2: Find your place, not physically, mind you, but I’m a firm believer that everyone has a role on this planet. Maybe that means you’re the dude who fixes people’s cars. Maybe you’re the one who works with young kids and volunteers your time to make your community a better place. Maybe you want to close off to the world and build a career.
Rarely, you should know, does who you were in high school have any bearing on who you’ll become in life. It’s important to know the freedom that’s in front of you. Your life is what you want to make of it. Don’t be wasteful.
Step 3: Be thankful. Whether it’s your parents, teachers, administrators, coaches, bus drivers, custodians or anyone else who helped you get to this point in your life, make sure your appreciation is known. You never really know how much these folks have thought of you on your journey, but I guarantee that it’s much more than you realize. So when you see them out and about living their lives like normal people, say hello. I promise they’ll remember you.
Step 4: Pass it on. I was fortunate to have really, really good parents and teachers on my journey. As such, I consider it my duty to emulate them as I move into roles of greater influence on young people. But even if you weren’t in such a blessed position, make the decision to do better than those who came before you. Life is cyclical, but only if you allow it to be.
To all of you picking up a diploma in the coming weeks, take this seriously. Your life truly is in front of you. So act like the future of the world depends on the choices you’ll make, because honestly, in many cases it does.