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Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Giving and Taking: Your Best Piece of Advice
I have always loved that this time of year always brings so many milestone passages, with each one seeming to bring a sense of newness, hope and promise. I recently congratulated one of the special graduates in my life who became a spring 2013 graduate of my alma mater university in Oklahoma, Northeastern State University in my hometown of Tahlequah. I realized that their spring passage marked 13 years since I took my spring passage across that stage to receive my master's degree. It made me recall many memories of the day I became a millenium graduate as part of the Class of 2000. I thought about not only pieces of advice I was given by loved ones as the day went on and my celebration continued at a graduation party in my honor, but also thought about what I had done with the advice I was given that day in regard to applying it to my life, my career path.
Now no longer the graduate receiving the advice, I find myself giving my best pieces of advice to the graduates in my life at all levels, this year alone ranging from preschool into high school, vo-tech school, college and law school. It is always my hope as I impart the advice, that it would be something the recipient will take to heart and might even find applying to their life somewhere down the road.
For me, some of my favorite advice includes my late maternal grandmother Grandma Cleva telling me to appreciate my school education, but also approach life through the eyes of the "School of Hard Knocks" and be able to apply an equal amount of common sense as I navigate through life. My late mother on my master's degree graduation day gave me a book small in size but big in inspiration, called "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff". During the past 13 years since that day, with much of that time being since she has passed from this life, I find myself in times of hurriedness, stress or even in general times of normalcy, reflecting if I am actually enbracing those words of her advice to "not sweat the small stuff" as I go through life.
I would love to know what are some of your best pieces of advice you would offer graduates in the Class of 2013? How have you applied this advice to your own life and/or career path?
Angela,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experiences...
The one piece of advice I follow and give is:
Stand on your desk!
From the movie, "Dead Poet's Society," Robin Williams' character encourages his students to stand on their desk to get a different view of their surroundings.
It works, and even today, I take every opportunity.
Thanks again for sharing, and for being part of the "Sensational Summer Blog Boost" at Likeable League Facebook Group!! :)
~Keri
#likeableblogs
I absolutely love this advice, Keri! That movie was released when I was a young teenager and I remember the inspiring feeling from seeing the movie then, and it still inspires me to this day when I watch that movie.
DeleteI'm gonna have to try that, Keri..! Stand on my desk..
DeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say that to go along with "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff", which is a great piece of advice in itself, I'd say make sure that you take the time to enjoy your journey through life. It's so easy to rush through everything to try and attain an ever changing end goal - the problem with rushing is that you don't get to savour the moment. We only have one life - thins is it - experience every moment :)
I completely agree with making sure to take the time to enjoy your journey through life and in this day and age with the ever-increasing technology, doing that can sometimes be overwhelming. I believe it truly is in being able to find the balance.
DeleteThanks for sharing your memories. Being European and not university trained "Graduation" ceremonies intrigue me.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter graduates from high school today and I love how excited she is to start her own path.
There is lots of stuff to sweat in those first couple of years until you learn what to sweat. As I enjoyed seeing her grow up, I look forward to see her make her way and sort out what the "small stuff" is for her.
Frith, I cannot believe the timing of my blog post on this subject to coincide with your daughter's high school graduation! I send her my wishes and congratulations on her milestone. Looking back, it is so true about during those first few years, learning what to sweat and what to sort out.
DeleteI would have to agree with your comment - "don't sweat the small stuff" because it is very true. I would also add in - "take your time!" I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to be at that place in life that means you have made it never realizing it takes time. So if I could go back I would tell myself - take your time, because time will always move forward, there is no need to rush anything.
ReplyDeleteSarah, taking time and not rushing through life is truly "timeless" advice I continually remind myself to reflect in my own life.
DeleteDear Angela,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this great topic and for sharing your thoughts and experiences. I have a similar motto that I would use for grad 2013: Life is a JOURNEY and not a destination, so enjoy the ride.
I agree with Keri's on seeing life from your desk as it helps see yourself from the outside, like playing a video on your everyday life. You should love what you see and not tire yourself in the process so that you can have memories 10, 20 years down the road.
Veronica, this advice about life being a JOURNEY and not a destination are words I still have to remind myself about in the decade plus after my master's graduation day. I was quick to think about much of the preparation for the road ahead had already been paved up to that point, so it is in the looking at life with the realization that it is still a work in progress with much more paving of life's journey planned.
DeleteGreat post, and I have to agree with the book's theme of "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." Also, I recall the excellent advice from Amy Poehler (of Saturday Night Live fame) in her address to Harvard University's graduating class of 2011: “You can’t do it alone. As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people’s ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, and spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I love this collaboration mindframe. I truly believe it can make all the difference and add so much enhancement to a person's life, as it has done for me in my own life.
DeleteIt might be time to consider "back to old-fashioned work ethic" but with a modern twist:
ReplyDelete- Get to work before the boss and stay conspicuously late... enough for it to be noticed
- Make sure you understand what you are being asked to do and do that first (before doing what you know/believe to be the better way)
- Ask "how am I doing?" periodically
Modern bosses miss the "old fashioned work ethic" and modern grads are sure that they can do more and better work in less time. They also believe that their personal/social needs and self expression are legitimate and ok to present in the office.
A hybrid approach, where you do the small things that the boss will recognize and appreciate as conforming to how things worked in the past will smooth over the times when you choose to indulge your personal needs during work time.
Good Luck!
Have fun and "stand on the desk" but make sure that you are meeting expectations before demonstrating your specialness.
Jamie,
DeleteThis is very thought-provoking advice. My mother's work ethic was one of her hallmarks that I always recall among the first of her traits. I look especially at my generation and the generation now entering the workplace and seem to see less and less of this type of dedicated old fashioned work ethic.
Love your post, Andrea. Well done!
ReplyDeleteHere's a choice bit of advice.. Savor each bite..!
(Kinda inspired by what you wrote, and partly by your blog title ;) )
LOVE this advice and I try to do this every single meal...er, day... ;)
DeleteThis week I experienced two graduations. My daughter graduated from middle school and my eldest son graduated from High School. To them my advice is to always be true to yourself. All actions should resonate with you and in this way you will stay on the right path. It is also important to always remember that the right path may be different than the path that you originally thought was right.
ReplyDeleteElise,
DeleteCongratulations on your two loved ones' graduations this week. I love your advice about being true to yourself. With social media having such a huge presence in the world we live in and the tendency for some to be swayed in one direction or another, that advice is very important.
Angela,
ReplyDeleteWow! Great Post!! Now you have me trying to remember what nuggets of advice I received when I graduated from college (last month was my 15th reunion)... And 8 yrs from my master's degree...
I have to say that I am stumped, trying so hard to remember words that stood out to this day! Beyond the "you can accomplish anything you set your mind to" or "we knew you could do it".. I was so determined and focus to just be done with undergrad that I may have missed something important.
I do know that I have done my best to encourage and empower my daughter with my actions, with the strength and conviction she sees me put into my professional jobs and now my own business!
What advice would I give to a new graduate? Be true to yourself, do what is best for you - morally and ethically. Keep moving!
And as I write this comment.. I am going to take my own advice. I recently decided to close my business because (well we won't get into to that here).. but I need to stay true to myself and the goal I have had since I was a child to own my own business... I WILL KEEP MOVING~
Thanks
Mischa
Mischa,
DeleteYour compliments and advice put the biggest smile on my face! I'm wishing you the best in your pursuit, as well!
When I graduated from high school, I pretty much walked alone. I was 3 months pregnant and already had the deck stacked against me out of the chute. Instead of being able to enjoy my first couple of years out of high school I was planning on giving up my son for adoption, taking care of me and baby, trying to graduate and the subsequent adoption later in the year.
ReplyDeleteMy advice to young women in high school, love yourself, don't be in a rush to have sex and if you do have to have sex practice safe protected sex. I was also molested up until I was 15 and so I had huge self confidence and self esteem issues. I also was still trying to shake the sexual conditioning from being molested.
If you have the luxury of enjoying your young adulthood do so and never take it for granted.