At long last, spring has finally arrived. The season is always full of new beginnings and new life.
Sometimes those new beginnings can come in the form of a change of lifestyle. That change is most prevalent in the lives of all the young people preparing for their departure from high school into the workforce or to a post-secondary institution.
This week, I thought it would be appropriate to address those young people as they begin their journey down life’s road and perhaps share some life lessons to maybe help them avoid the odd pothole along the way.
Dear 2013 grads:
You must always remember our time on this earth is limited, so you shouldn’t waste it living someone else’s life.
For me, the most important thing in life is to live your life with integrity and not to give in to peer pressure to try to be something that you’re not.
Don’t let your inner voice be drowned out by the noise of others. Trust yourself enough to follow your heart and intuition. Think outside the box, be original, be creative and don’t waste your ideas with silence.
Having a lot of money does not automatically make you a successful person. Doing meaningful work will bring you riches that money cannot buy.
Choose to use any status or influence you might attain to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice. Identify with the powerless not just the powerful.
If you make a difference in the lives of those who do not have your advantages, then it will not only be your proud family who appreciates your existence, but the people whose reality you have helped change, as well.
We do not need magic to change the world. We just have to use the power to imagine better.
Be an honest and compassionate person; contribute in some way to the betterment of the society you live in.
Albertans are the beneficiary of the compassionate contributions of thousands of volunteers across the province and they are the cornerstone of many successful organizations in Alberta.
Your greatest fear when taking those first steps into society is failure. Remember the majority of the world’s most important inventions were preceded by a long list of failures.
Life is like putting messages in bottles on a desert island and hoping that someone will find one of your bottles and read your thoughts. Remember you may have to put out hundreds of messages before one is ever read.
Be yourself and follow your passion, always stay true to yourself. Always follow your own path, unless you’re in the woods and you get lost, and you see a path. Then you should probably follow that path.
In closing, I would like to congratulate all the 2013 graduates and especially thank the families that raised these fine young people.
— From the Legislature