1. Celebrating graduation day: the beginning

Wow, it's over! And, now we have a new beginning. You have closed a door and it is important that you hear it slam! This is because it is really closed. The high school days are finished. And you are, sadly or excitedly, going to enter into a new phase of life. There can be no return to the past. The first thing you must do is ask yourself the question: “Who woke up this morning: who woke up?” The answer is, of course, “I did.” And how did I know it was me? I knew it was me because of yesterday -- my memories. This makes me a unique being: there is no one like me; no one will ever be like me and no one ever has been like me. So now my job in the next four years and in life really, is to truly develop the beautiful me. Some complications: a lot of people don't know what they want to do, right? Period! “I don't know where I'm going. I don't know what's going on.” And that's a good thing: and, of course, a bad thing. In the next several years, you will have “to choose” something to do, for sure. Now, conversely: people sometimes pick the wrong thing.

When you step out into the world when you are about 22 years old, or so: you have to act. If you don't engage, you are very foolish, because action produces results. So, let's say you don't really know, for sure. But, you think you might want to be in international trade, or you might want to be a real estate salesman, or you might want to be in the entertainment industry; the hospitality industry -- whatever it is may or may not be correct. The secret is to “take the initiative!”

Find a job and start -- and that job you must promise yourself, “I am going to stay with this for four or five years -- ten thousand hours.” Gain some experience because you have opened the door. This is the most important: and with that door comes a lot of pain, and a lot of joy. You will, for sure, be a wage slave (DBAWageslave.com) for a period of time: you will sell yourself for money. But, slowly but surely -- this is what Malcolm Gladwell1 is always talking about -- you will be finishing an education and gaining experience. And, once the individual gains experience, expertise follows and no one can take the beautiful you, your life mission,2 away from you. And this is not the beautiful you in the physical way, of course, It is the magic inside of you. This is because the body is just a temple. God willing, it is a good-looking temple, but that doesn't matter – it really doesn't matter! The point is to develop the beautiful you! But, for sure, a dirty word is coming up. It is very bad and kind of profane -- I apologize: It is “w-o-r-k.” Work! You are going to have to work on you. Anyone who has been successful, whatever that means to you, has to work, right? I'm 61, almost 62 years old, and I now work more than I have ever worked, in my life for that matter, because I want to see something good come out of what I do. Thus, effort is required. So, my wish for you, as a brilliant and gifted human being, is good luck because you need a modicum of luck. It is time for critical thinking!