To the Class of 2025:
Surround yourself with good people. Always be humble. You have a lot to learn from others.
Learn early the difference between "hearing" and "listening." Know the value of listening. Listen more, talk less.
Show up when it鈥檚 easy, when it鈥檚 fun and when it鈥檚 a struggle and a strain. Just show up.
Make connections daily, and not just the New York Times game. You'll eventually be amazed at what groups can do for you. Find others going through what you鈥檙e going through and you鈥檒l make it through the tough parts together!
Make sure the people you love know explicitly that you love them.
If you're feeling awful or having a rough time, do something kind for someone else. It might not make you feel better, but it will never make you feel worse. And that's a pretty good guarantee to have.
Being kind doesn鈥檛 cost you a thing. Do good for others. Lift others, as so many have lifted you.
If you find yourself saying 鈥渢hank you鈥� more often than 鈥渟orry,鈥� you are on the right path.
Pull your uncle鈥檚 finger. You鈥檒l make his day!
Get a passport, even if you don't have a big trip planned. But plan and save for a trip before you get too entrenched in the rat race. Take the trip.
Get a cat. Spend as much time as you can with dogs.
When you attend high school reunions, always seek out your classmates who you didn鈥檛 know that well. You鈥檒l have the most fascinating conversations.
Always sign someone's wedding guest book with a mysterious alias like Jeepers P. Moneypockets. It's the gift they'll never return.
Establish a great habit that will then make the rest of the day a success.
If you haven't learned to swim, do it now. As you age, it's a workout you can do without hurting yourself.
Smile more. Take care of your gums.
Sooner or later, life or your career path will take an unexpected left turn. Be resilient in responding to it. Be somebody who makes things better, not worse. Be a builder.
Embrace the reality that you don鈥檛 know everything and you never will. Never be afraid to admit it and ask for help. That鈥檚 how you learn. Know you don't have to be perfect. As long as you tried and did your best, that's all that matters.
All politics is local. Get involved. Inform yourselves enough to vote in every opportunity you are afforded! It鈥檚 your future, take part in it! Vote. It鈥檚 urgently important. No excuses, vote.
Fight for what you believe in and believe in what you are fighting for. Otherwise, it鈥檚 nothing but performance art.
Don鈥檛 be afraid to be different.
Your integrity is more important than money. Cost vs. value isn't just about spending money. It's also about deciding how to invest your time, heart, and attention.
Don't turn up your nose at cheap beer or tap water. There will be times when you'll be grateful for both.
Always carry 20 dollar bill.
Seek and find a glimmer of joy every day.
No one will think more of you than you do of yourself. Believe in yourself. Big up yourself.
You can鈥檛 win until you鈥檙e not afraid to lose. Safe can be boring: take some chances, be willing to surprise yourself, and find ways to say yes. No is too easy. Be delusional and take chances, live a life free from regret. The more you believe in yourself, the happier you will be.
Life isn鈥檛 about what happens to us, it鈥檚 about how you react to what happens.
As we get older, we ideally give fewer hoots about things that don't really matter. The sooner you start, the better.
Always keep an umbrella in your car and kiss with your eyes closed.
