It is often the case in life that those who are deserving of merit often are not recognized as they should be. To work hard and toil, and not be appreciated for your effort is truly unfair; but rarely is life fair. Despite this certainty, you must persevere. We are all here for a purpose. It is your mission in life to discover what that purpose is and to fulfill it. Even though you may not realize it, even though you may wonder at times if your life is pointless, you generate waves, big waves, and people you hardly know will be feeling them long after you go.
No matter what, do not forget to thank the people you have met and interacted with along the way. Whether it is your former roommates, best friends, professors or random people you have met, thank them for being a part of your life. Even if things did not go well, thank them anyway for they have had an affect on who you are. For better or worse, our interactions in life shape our personalities.
Live in the moment. Sing a song, dance a dance, and paint a painting. Do no let life pass you by. Try not to waste this gift given to us by wallowing in self-pity and regret. Live in the present but always remember, what is done can never be undone no matter how hard you try. Look towards the future as not already laid out for you, but shaped by the actions and decisions you make today. At the same time, never forget your past and where you came from. For it is from the past that we learn who we are, how we came to be, and through that, we gain an understanding of where we are headed and what we may become.
Within the constantly changing world that we live in, keep an open mind. You will come across people of different race, color, religion and sexual orientations as we continue in life. Learn from them; live in their shoes; and befriend them. They will open you up to a range of new experiences that you may not have thought possible. To truly experience life, we need to live in another person’s shoes. Ignorance, ladies and gentlemen, is a cancer that plagues humanity. Ignorance fosters hate, hate begets violence, and violence only breeds more violence.
Gay and Straight, Black and White, Christian, Muslim and Jew, we all live in this one world. We must learn to accept one another; we must all learn tolerance. If Ignorance is the cancer, Tolerance is the Cure.
Let the future be bright and let it give way to a golden age in our society where we are all accepted for who we are. We are all brothers and sisters in this world, descended from a common ancestry, and let us treat each other, as we would like to be treated. Walk this earth with not fear, ignorance and hatred in your heart, but with compassion, honesty and an open-mind. Only then will we as one people, be united in our dreams.
