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Slide 29

And here is my final slide—the commencement-speech advice, if you will.  To live a better life, spend time in nature and with people you love.  Find work that isn’t just a means to a paycheck, but something you deeply enjoy, and feel proud and honored to have done. 

If you’re a student, resist the temptation to think of college as a way to get a job.  It’s not: it’s a way to expand your horizons and become a more interesting and well-rounded person.  Never again in your life will you have the chance to revel in such a wide variety of fascinating topics.  Take some esoteric classes—not just the ones you need to graduate, but others that just sound cool. 

Accept the fact that you will make mistakes.  Everyone does; it’s part of being human, and accepting it frees you from the burden of self-limitation.  Ask for help, admit it when you mess up, be gracious with the faults of others, and work to do a better job next time. 

Finally, leave the world a better place, and enjoy it while you’re here! 

[photo: Saco Bay, ME, © 2000 Michael L. Scott]