Before anything else, congratulations on your graduation from high school. I don’t know if it feels like a noteworthy accomplishment to you, but it is. Your high school diploma is the culmination of 12+ years of hard work and focus.
My son graduated from high school last month. And I can assure you that each person who sent you a card or stopped you in the hallway to say “Congratulations,” genuinely meant it. High school graduation may not be the end of the road or your highest achievement in life, but it is still worthy of celebration.
As you end this season of life, and rush toward your new one, no matter where your road takes you, here are 18 pieces of 3-word advice.
18 Pieces of 3-Word Advice For The High School Graduate
1. Call your mother.
Your parents love you and think about you more than you know. And they won’t be around forever. Call your mom and visit often—they’ll appreciate it and so will you.
2. Don’t chase money.
The desire for wealth is a desire that can never be satisfied—you’ll never have enough. Pursue meaning and contribution with your life instead—it’s way more fulfilling in the long run.
3. Encourage others often.
It’s easy to see life as a competition, thinking the best way to get ahead is to beat out everyone else. But this is backward thinking. The most effective way to succeed in life is to help someone else succeed in theirs. And I’m not just saying that. Be the encourager.
4. Find a mentor.
Find someone that you admire and can look up to as an example. In almost every pursuit in life, a good coach is worth their weight in gold. Find someone, ahead of you in the journey, that you can look up to in your career, in your marriage, in your parenting, and anything else you want to succeed in.
5. Find happiness today.
“If, then” thinking is common in our world and culture. It usually sounds something like this, “If I get that job, then I’ll be happy,” “If I get that husband, then I’ll be happy,” “If I make $x, then I’ll be happy.” Avoid it at all costs. Happiness isn’t an emotion that accompanies perfect circumstances. Happiness is a decision you make every day.
6. Grow in faith.
Believe in something bigger than yourself.
7. Live life intentionally.
In all aspects of your life (your time, your money, your habits, your relationships, etc.), be very intentional in what you allow in. Don’t allow society or your friends to tell you what is important, choose for yourself. Remember, the first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.
8. Look up more.
That person in front of you is more important than your phone. Look up, and at them.
9. Love your job.
There is advice in our world that sounds like this, “Do work you love.” And I don’t disagree, you should pursue your dreams. But that doesn’t mean your current job, even if it’s not your greatest passion in the world, can’t be enjoyed, appreciated, and loved. There are no perfect jobs in the world. Look for reasons to love the one you’ve got.
10. Make new friends.
I know this may be hard to hear just days after finishing high school, but most likely, you still haven’t met the greatest friends you will have in life. Appreciate your relationships from high school, but don’t let them get in the way of the new friends you are about to meet.
11. Own less stuff.
Excess possessions steal our time, money, and energy. They add stress and burden and keep us from accomplishing greater dreams. Don’t believe the messages of a consumeristic society that you need a lot of possessions to be happy. Be different, own less. And live more.
12. Pursue your dreams.
Your whole life is front of you. If you have a dream career or passion, pursue it. Nobody is going to hand it to you, it’s going to take hard work and dedication to achieve it. But victory usually belongs to those who work the hardest to achieve it. So go be the person you want to be.
13. Push yourself harder.
A good coach will always get more out of you than you thought you had. He/she will always reveal that you had more inside of you than you even thought. That remains true of your potential every day. You have more potential inside you than you realize. Push yourself to be the best you that you can be.
14. Think of others.
Don’t live life looking out only for your own interests, look out also for the interests of others.
15. Try new things.
Try new hobbies. Try new foods. Learn a new skill. Experience new cultures. I didn’t become a writer until the age of 34. You never know for sure what you are going to be best at. So keep trying new things.
16. You’ll mature more.
The best piece of advice concerning college I ever received was from a friend named Barbie. She was a few years older than me and shortly after my high school graduation, she said to me, “You’ll mature more these next few years than you think.” I remember being offended at the time thinking I already was pretty mature. But, she was entirely right. I matured and grew up as much during those four years of college as maybe the previous 12 combined. You’re going to mature and grow more in the next few years then you realize. Look forward to it.
17. Value physical health.
Your physical body is the instrument through which you will make your difference and mark in the world. Be disciplined in caring for it. Eat well, exercise, and rest sufficiently. Your future accomplishments will thank you for it.
18. Wash your bowl.
There’s a famous zen story that goes like this:
A monk told Joshu, “I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.”
Joshu asked, “Have you eaten your rice porridge?
The monk replied, “I have eaten.”
Joshu said, “Then you had better wash your bowl.”
At that moment the monk was enlightened.
Learn what it means to wash your bowl.
Anna Schouwerwou says
Beside being prepared for the next meal/task, it could also mean clean up your own mess.
Anna Schouwerwou says
Beside being prepared for the next meal, or your next task, it could also mean- do not expect others to clean up after you,
Jessalynn Jones says
Great points Joshua :) I loved all of them but especially the points about money happiness and things because the older I get the less I want and I wish I hadn’t got a bunch of stuff I didn’t need before and now that I don’t do that any more we save soooo much money and we have more time for what we really want. I think that if you are starting your adult life knowing you don’t need to waste money and energy on stuff it will open up your life to so much opportunity! I also believe the way to be happy in a career is to look for the best way you can help others, learn the skills you need to be really good at it, and then you will feel fulfilled and happy with your work!
Martha G says
All excellent advice for graduates. As a grandma now, I fully appreciate the wisdom in each piece of advice. Very few regrets in the great adventure that my life has been but the peace and joy in my minimal life now is exquisite.
Tony says
I’m a 28 year old man, and graduated from high school 10 years ago, now. Still, this was exactly the wisdom I needed to hear. I’ve taken control of my life again, and this advice is a great reminder of what a truly great life is all about.
Ana says
Beautiful words of advice, especially to find a mentor and live life intentionally. Congratulations to all the new grads.
Dan says
There is some good advice there, however your parents are going to expect that you keep all the stuff and family heirlooms and china for several generations going back, and if you don’t become successful and own a large home to keep, cherish, honor and clutter all the furniture and fixtures passed down for generations, you will be taken out of the will. Your spouse will also be expected to do the same. So you won’t be able to become a minimalist until after all four parents are deceased. Since people are living longer, you will be able to become a minimalist sometime in your sixth or seventh decade if you make it that long. Have a nice life being miserable until age 60-70, and that is if your are lucky and your parents live a long life, and you do also.
Katherine Stott says
This might be true for your family, but it certainly isn’t for mine, and I’m sure for others as well. My mother completely understood that all of her children and grandchildren might not want all of her “stuff”, and she had no issue with that. She also appreciated that in our views, less is more. We weren’t expected to buy the biggest house in the neighborhood, or be successful by what their views were. We were all taught to live our independent lives as we saw fit.
dan says
Katherine,
Your mother is most gracious to not put a guilt trip on you for not saving your ancestors belongings. Even better she does not have a large house full of belongings so that you can go through the emotional pain of dealing with significant items going back over 100 years. I don’t know what the chances are of husband and wife not having either family homes full of stuff, and their current spouse being a packrat. Not sure if it is 4 out of 10 or 1 in a million. Many families have to take months or longer taking care of all the stuff when a parent dies.
Betty White says
May I add? “Value your elders.”
In this day of focusing on children and the shortcomings we find in our society regarding the nurturing and providing for our young ones, please remember the older generations. Our grandparents have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. And quite often they are in need of nurturing and assistance too. When you read about the plight or neglect of a child, remember the same situation may exist for an older person as well.
DAN says
Some elders have been heroes to me and I have been there for them; some have been horrible. Choose among them.
Olairawomi says
Thought I’m in college but I enjoyed reading this….I have no regrets but I’m challenged
Now I’m wondering what exactly do you mean by WASH YOUR BOWL
Mema says
Stay prepared…
Sara says
I was thinking about the same thing, this is my 2 cents-
The bowl serves as a tool to satisfying your hunger, so wash it=get it ready for the next meal.
Ex: you get an assistant from someone, thank them and perhaps take them out for lunch if you can afford it. Life runs in circle, you never know when you’ll need help again.
Elle says
I thought perhaps it meant to be considerate, grateful, and responsible, in addition to being prepared.
Melanie Carter says
Taking care of the bowl shows…
Gratefulness it was filled, optimism it shall be filled again, and thoughtfulness of tending to it so it’s ready to be used by\shared with others.
Melanie Carter says
Oh wait. I think I overthought it. :)
‘Joshu is telling the novice monk, to do what comes next, naturally. One thing at a time. With a clear, present mind…’
Jennifer says
This is wonderful. My daughter graduated yesterday. I will be printing this out for her to read. Congratulations to your son.