Dear Young Adult,

If you are a 2019 college or high school graduate, you have probably received a fair dose of unsolicited advice for embarking on your next journey/adventure/season of life.

I’m about to give you more.

Adults like me say things like “I’ve built up a fair dose of life experience…” (I actually don’t say that phrase, but it’s true nonetheless.) I’d like to think my advice is different from the norm.

These tips are mostly short, sweet, and frankly—the opposite of much of what you’ve been told.

4 Tips for High School and College Graduates

1. Don’t always follow your heart. Following your heart can lead to extramarital affairs, spouse and child abandonment, a life of crime. People who have followed their hearts to steal others’ life savings, commit fraud, and blow up buildings. Instead, use wisdom and discernment to recognize when your heart is leading you astray. And then follow what is right.

2. Don’t work out of loyalty to a company. You’ll be disappointed. I know (and you probably know) people by name who worked loyally for companies for 40 years, only to be the first workers laid-off when a convenient excuse presented itself. Companies care about their bottom line (and after 40 years, many companies are anxious to get rid of employees with the built-up salary and most retirement). Companies do not care about you or your life or your sick child or your sick day or your dying parent.

Instead, work for the Lord. If you’re working for Him, you’ll be honest and on time to your job. You will do your best regardless of where you work. You will demonstrate good character and kindness toward others.

More on this: In working out of loyalty to the Lord, you can seek ways to glorify Him and serve others, regardless of your role or position. You can do it as a busboy or grocery bagger. You can glorify God working as a surgeon, a CEO, a salesperson, a housekeeper, a volunteer, a parent, an entrepreneur, a freelancer, a garbage worker. In positions of power and influence, you can also destroy others and bring ruin. Choose the thing that is right and good. Most of the time, you’ll know what it is.

And just a little more on this: When you become a boss or a manager, care more about people who work under you and the customers you serve than you care about the bottom line.

3. This advice I pass along from my dad: When you get a new job, making friends with your boss is not the priority. Make fast friends with two people: the secretary and the janitor. They are the ones with all the special and magical powers. If one of those people is you, wield your influence well (see #2). 

4. Don’t let anybody give you any flack about: not having a boyfriend/girlfriend, not getting married, not having kids. Some people will try and convince you these are Biblical commands. They are not.

Sincerely,

Rhonda (Captain Mom)

pixabay “wisdom” image by geralt.