Three Wishes for the Class of 2020

#tbt to graduation day at Harvard and Yale. Both days were just the beginning of an awesome journey

To the Class of 2020, I know this wasn’t how you expected the year to end, but you are truly going to be the class that pushes the bounds of innovation and grit. If I could gift you with three things, it would be resilience, creativity, and confidence.

 Resilience: Post-graduation, life loses its linearity. It’s not just about getting the right grades to get into the right school to get the right job. There are zig zags, twists and turns, and WHOA where did that tree branch come from—it’s unpredictable and that is okay. Resistance exists to make you stronger and the more you practice the muscle of persisting, the less change will be able to phase you. Stay Resilient.

 Creativity: When you accept that life isn’t supposed to be linear, that’s when life gets way more fun. You see brightly lit paths no one else can—and it’s okay if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else. In fact, it’s better. As long as your choices are authentic to you and you are moving forward, you are trailblazing. I’m also willing to bet you are inspiring someone along the way.  Color outside the lines, stay creative.

 Confidence: Of all these gifts, confidence is the most important. The voices of your family, friends, professors, and mentors are all important-but at the end of the day, you are running the race. Trust your gut unless someone gives you a compelling reason not to. Believe that you are capable of getting yourself where you want to go (why not? You’ve gotten this far). There are people rooting for you. Listen to them and let them motivate you. There are also people that won’t (in fact, some might go out of their way to trip you)-listen to them, recognize they wouldn’t be trying to stop you if you weren’t a threat, and leave them in the dust. Stay confident.

 Congratulations 2020 graduates—the best is yet to come.