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Graduation Advice

Same topic, different views

By Tim Baldwin and Joe Carbonari

By Tim Baldwin

Graduations are upon us. It is a bittersweet experience for parents who are realizing that their children are becoming adults, many of who will be leaving home for other endeavors. Graduates, congratulations! Consider a few thoughts as you expand your lives from here.

Work hard and smart. There will always be someone smarter, but hardly anything replaces a good work ethic. Success follows this ethic. Never be content with your knowledge. Do not assume your conclusions are correct. There is always more to learn and better ways of learning. Inspire the desire to learn in yourself and others. Human experience improves, individually and collectively, this way.

Treat others the way you want to be treated. Unfortunately, making money is the driving force for many people. They will do anything to get ahead even at the sacrifice of others. Personal gratification takes you only so far. Having a clear conscience with others carries much greater worth. You will have better relationships, of which life is made.

Think for yourself. Formal education (as well as familial upbringing) carries a certain amount of indoctrination. Question everything and seek answers based in sound reasoning and science. Be brave by being you. Individuals can be influenced heavily by society and family. Being who you are brings greater happiness. Others should appreciate your individual qualities.

Life is short. Make the best and most of it. Congratulations!


 

By Joe Carbonari

In sport, rules outline the boundaries of acceptable play, so too, in life. They are our code of conduct, our rules of life. Who breaks these rules, in what way, and to what purpose can mean life or death. The ability to “read” people, to predict their actions and reactions, has immense value. We all do it intuitively. We ought to do it consciously. We should work at it. It should be taught.

People are fascinating. Watch for the unexpected, and then work out the “why” of it.

With time, similarities of look, sound and action emerge. There are patterns. They guide us in our daily lives. They are critical to trust.

We learn first the signs of love on our mothers’ faces. We next learn to watch the faces of others. They are full of signs. We watch for smiles, turn from frowns.

Most of us learn the basic signs; catch the obvious fakes. They tell us when, and who, not to trust. We also need to learn the signs of wisdom, whose judgment to seek out, in whom to place our trust.

Be wary of bombast, stridency, and the absolute. Wisdom comes more quietly. It requires a weighing of the known and the unknown. It is unsure. It solicits dissent. It is humble.

Immerse yourself in life. Seek wisdom, and read the faces along the way.