The Gift of Time
A Message to Our School Leavers
It's that time of year when Year 12 students are nearing the end of their school journey, with only a few short weeks to go. You might be cringing every time someone asks, "So what do you want to do after school?"
To this, I say:
- If you know, great. If you don't, you're just as lucky. This is an exciting time to try life on and see what fits!
- Rest assured, you have time—a lifetime of it. Time is a gift.
- Youth is also a gift, and you only get it once. Don’t squander it.
- Be curious. Be open to opportunity.
- Adulting is the long haul. Yes, grow up, but don't be in a hurry.
- Be wary of advice to 'follow your passion' and 'do what you love.' It's well-meaning but misguided. A select few will have discovered their passions or talents at this early stage. For the rest, you have a lifetime to find out, and much to look forward to!
- If your work or study doesn't align with your interests, that's okay. Having a passion on the side gives you an escape from work and adulting—you’ll need it.
- Don't fear healthy risks. You'll either learn from them or grow. Having a go is better than the 'what ifs'.
- Embrace healthy mistakes and never stop making them. They're the making of us all.
- Dip your toe in safe waters while remembering who your lifeguards are.
- Don’t expect to start at the top. In fact, I pity anyone who does. Instead, start from the bottom. This will give you a firm foundation of the skills you’ll need higher up the ladder. Without them, you're likely to fall, and it may be from a great height.
- Choose your tech diet carefully. Embrace its wonders but don't let it rob you of experiences. Be mindful of the social media and ‘world news’ you consume. Otherwise, they will consume you.
- Enjoy the restlessness and uncertainty. The fire that burns inside you is exciting. Keep it stoked with curiosity—otherwise, it might fizzle out.
- Respect yourself and others. Respect this world.
- Choose your people wisely, but remember that people move on. Not everyone will be ‘your people,’ and it’s okay for you to move on too.
- When choosing your people, remember quality over quantity.
- Don’t change to fit others—find those who are a good fit for you.
Finally, as you hang up your uniforms and enjoy (or endure) the farewells and fanfare, take a moment to stop. Breathe. Give yourself credit for getting through 13 years of school—that's no small feat, and it's exhausting. Whatever your journey through school has been, hold onto the positives and let go of the rest. School was for a time, only a fragment of your life; it doesn’t define you.
Look forward, look outward, and look up. You will grow, and you will discover who you are meant to be. Now begins the true journey of learning who you are meant to be, and although you may never fully figure it out, that’s part of the adventure. After all, how boring would it be to know everything about yourself now, with nothing left to discover?!
I wish you lives that are full—full of healthy mistakes, wonderous experiences, and people who fill your buckets. And I thank you for being the future caretakers of our planet. I am confident we are in good hands.
Image retrieved from Freepik.com
Link: https://shorturl.at/keF4O
