Call Your Mother. Save Your Money.

Soon the month of May will be here, bringing with it the start of Graduation Season. Have you ever wished that you could give a commencement address and dispense some of your lived wisdom to the young faces sitting before you?

Two such commencement talks are well worth watching sometime:

One features the late Steve Jobs speaking at Stanford in 2005, including his famous "Stay hungry, stay foolish" message. The second features consultant and author John Scherer speaking at Roanoke College in 2010, including his wise maxim "Go for tov."

If you were invited to deliver a college commencement address . . . what advice would you give to a class of college graduates?

I asked my wife Joan. I often consult her for her wisdom. She said:

~ "Call your mother. Save your money. Start thinking now about retirement. Go to church."

What I love about her answers is that there are some important implications, including:

Start thinking about your future - Today's decisions have long-term effects that are hard to foresee. But by envisioning the future you desire, you can use that vision to guide the choices you make now.

Stay connected to others - You are not just graduating with a diploma. You have a social network comprised of family, friends, and all those you encountered during your four years of college. Stay connected! These relationships will support you and sustain you as you begin the next phase of your journey.

If you were to deliver an address to a graduating class, what would your key points be, especially in view of the difficult economy that this year's college graduates are entering?

Posted by Terrence Seamon on Sunday April 29, 2010