Our Kidd Kraddick Morning Show producer Nick asked us to come up with some words of wisdom for the 2018 graduates. I probably should’ve tried to be funny with it, but I guess I just wasn’t in a funny mood when I sat down at my laptop to do my assignment. At first, I drew a complete blank. What would I tell my 18- or 22-year-old self? Would I have even listened? Some things you just have to go through yourself to get the lesson. But eventually, my brain started functioning and I came up with a few things that I think would’ve been helpful for me to know when I was just starting out. And these are just my opinions, so y’all can fuss at me that I’m wrong or you can contribute your own little nuggets of knowledge in the comments.
People aren’t looking at you or thinking about you as much as you think they are. I was always so worried about looking foolish and embarrassing myself that I missed out on doing some pretty fun stuff.
You don’t have to tear someone else down to build yourself else up. I’m embarrassed to admit it now, but one of my favorite things to do in high school was sit at the fountain in the middle of the mall with my equally snarky friend and make fun of people passing us by. And there I was — this miserable, overweight redhead with a frizzy perm and goggle-sized glasses trying to make herself feel superior by criticizing other people —??? And doing that only made me feel worse, so it was an ineffective coping mechanism. And I guess it’s one thing to do that kind of nonsense when you’re 16, but there are grown a** adults doing that to each other now.
Holding on to anger only hurts you. Being angry at someone who wronged you eats away at your soul. But the funny thing is, the person you’re so angry at isn’t affected by it at all! You have to figure out a way to let it go.
At some point, you have to stop blaming everything bad that happens to you on your childhood. A lot of really unfair stuff happens to us when we’re kids, and I get that there are extreme levels of really bad things that can happen to children. But at some point, we have to stop blaming everything we CAN’T accomplish on something that happened to us when we were six. There are countless stories of people who’ve survived the most horrific tragedies and went on to live successful, inspirational lives. Read those stories!
The point of therapy is to get out of therapy. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help. I’ve been to therapy a time or two myself. But I believe the point of therapy is to get out of therapy! Once I relieved myself by talking about it, getting advice and developing coping skills, I was out of there. This is JUST MY OPINION, but I believe if you’re still seeing the same therapist after 20 years, it’s not working.
Nobody ever asks to see your diploma. This isn’t necessarily advice. It’s just an observation I had. I filled out a number of job applications and typed up a few resumes back before I landed this sweet radio gig with Kidd Kraddick 24 years ago. But I remember in all that time, never once did someone ask to see my diploma. Apparently, they just take your word for it!
And now I’m going to quote a meme I saw on Instagram yesterday that made me scream at the phone, “That is so true!” And it’s for husbands, not graduates. But it’s great advice to keep in mind for when that time comes.
One woman asks, “What’s your best marriage advice? lol Asking for a friend.” -- Rachael Nutter
“Always get your wife a snack at the gas station. If you think to yourself, “Maybe she doesn’t want a snack,” I’m telling you that you’re wrong. Just get the woman a snack.” — Hope Breter
And now I’m screaming again, THAT IS SO TRUE!!!!!!
Congratulations, Class of 2018! Whether you take my advice or not, I hope you face this next chapter of life with hope and enthusiasm and that you find success and happiness in all that you do!