OPINION
I had the joy of watching the Class of 2025 graduate from Aubrey High School on Tuesday evening, and I'll have the opportunity to watch Pilot Point's do the same on Sunday and then Tioga's on June 6.
Some people dread graduation ceremonies.
I, however, love them. They are charged with excitement and emotion, and they're a celebration of a signifi cant milestone in the lives of the people crossing that stage along with their loved ones in the crowd.
It was particularly sweet to watch students who I care about cross the stage, including our contributor Jacob Gonzalez and many of my friends' children.
Here is the advice I would like to give these students as they go onto their next phase of life.
You can't make everyone happy, so focus on being comfortable with your decisions.
For some of you, that will come naturally.
For others, who tend to be people pleasers like I am by nature, that might be a struggle.
When you do something you don't feel comfortable with, figure out how to correct it or to improve the situation.
Life rarely goes according to plan, and if it does, those plans rarely play out the way you thought they would.
College or career plans can get derailed.
Catastrophes happen, sometimes in the form of storms and sometimes in the form of freak accidents.
Connections can be broken, whether through relationships ending or the loss of a loved one.
Tragedy is an opportunity to come back stronger. That's a concept I heard in a podcast called 'The Happiness Lab' about becoming a practical optimist, and it resounded with me.
When you experience loss, look for healthy ways to deal with it.
Don't kick yourself too hard if you fall on unhealthy ways, but identify that and work to fix that.
Long-term isolation is rarely healthy or helpful. Find someone or something to help you reconnect when you find yourself disconnecting from the people and interests you care about.
It's human nature to get lax on things when life feels like it's going your way, but life is also cyclical a lot of the time.
Give yourself a break when you're struggling, and don't stop working on progress when you're doing well. Embrace your quirks and what makes you who you are. Your interests, your history, your goofi ness. Learning to be confident in who and how you are, if that doesn't come to you naturally, will open so many doors in your life.
My final piece of advice is that while putting in an effort is always worth it, quitting is not always a bad thing.
I encourage you to put your whole heart into everything you do and to check in with yourself about what comes of that effort.
If you realize what you're receiving doesn't match what you're giving, whether that is in your personal or professional life, decide whether to keep investing in that or to make a change.
As scary as it can be, making a change could be the best decision you ever make. Congratulations to the Class of 2025 throughout our area.
I can't wait to see the impact you have on the world.
Abigail Allen is the Editor & Publisher of the Post-Signal. She can be reached at [email protected].
