5 Things I Wish I Knew When Graduating

Be Thankful

        You've made it! You reached a HUGE milestone in your life, managing to overcome all your struggles in life. Be it your grades, bullies, chaos at home, your fears and doubts on yourself, they could not keep you down so good for you! Not everyone gets the chance to make it this far, so it’s a testament to your drive and focus. Be sure to tell those who have helped you out along the way and make time to celebrate any of your future accomplishments.

Respect Others And Yourself

        You probably don't have much real-world experience, and that's okay cause neither does anyone else. You all suck equally. No sense in letting your ego take control of your actions. Don't sell yourself short though or let people take advantage of you, you do have value and if you put your mind to it, you will be able to make it.

It Will All Be Okay, It Just Takes Time

        You will fail. Things will suck. There will be embarrassing and horrible situations that you will have to deal with, whether you try to put them off and avoid them altogether. They will need to be resolved at some point. But it will be okay eventually. Be it days, weeks, months whatever. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was to count down from 100 on your attempts at success, “99, 98, 97, etc” and these will all be things you'll want to forget and move on from, but somewhere in there, you'll get that ONE shining attempt where it all comes together beautifully and makes up for all the other trials. And after that, you start counting again, “99, 98, 97 etc”

Network And Play Well With Others

        You will always have things to learn, with all the technology and ways to communicate with others constantly changing and evolving, so must you if you want to continue succeeding. Don't deny others the opportunity to see how awesome you are. Meet people in your field of business, or what interests you. You will find people who can connect you to your passions, and allow you to follow your dreams. You cannot do it alone, no matter how good you are.

Enjoy What Life Gives You

        You only have a set number of days on this earth, and why waste any of that on regrets and doubts and wondering why you are this or aren't that. Find what you are thankful for, tell people how much you appreciate them, do things out of love and you'll find that life is so much more than you had previously thought. The bad things you deal with don't have to be all bad. You might use them as learning experiences. Mistakes will be made, both on your end and others, we’re all human. Instead of letting it be a stain on your life, try making it something you can use to benefit future you.