By Sister Shirley Tarpley, NDG Religion Editor
This week I am highlighting the 2017 Graduates from College and High School. Hopefully, I am going to give them something to ponder while they pause after they graduate and before they take the next step on their life’s pathway.
To the 2017 Graduates on Your Life’s Journey: To be successful in whatever you do, you must first have a vision of yourself as being successful.
From day to day, you must keep that vision alive, even when you feel that you have acted in ways that are antithetical (adverse) to your vision. And, on the way to developing your own style in life, it can be very useful to study those that you admire in your field of study. Learning all that you can about a positive role model’s career path that can give you an insight into what you may need to do to accomplish your goals. Decide what life skills and techniques that you can adapt from successful people in your field and use them to help you gain greater strengths and abilities.
Do not strive to become a carbon copy of anyone (God made you unique) because when you do, you will lose the best part of yourself. You are original, made by God in His image.
It’s also good to remember that Jesus Christ is the only one that is perfect. However, it will profit you to acknowledge that you can learn and benefit from the example of others.
Realize that all of us have limited time and energy. There may be times that it will be tempting to look for shortcuts on your life’s journey or to give up when things get too hard.
But going halfway doesn’t do you any good nor give you much satisfaction—in the long run, it will probably make you angry that you wasted your time, and it whittles away at your self-confidence when you fail.
You must learn that things seldom go the way that they are planned. You will have setbacks and stalls. Not everything is within your control.
Remember this saying, “God, help me to accept the things that I cannot change, to change the things that I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”
What can you do when thing don’t go the way you planned? You must assess the situation and ask God to help you figure out what changes in strategy that you will need to make in order for things to go the way you planned.
Don’t allow yourself to become demoralized. Read about millionaires, many of them have had several business failures before their success.
Be flexible as well as determined. Have a plan B and a C plan, just in case plan A doesn’t work.
In all of us, there is the aptitude for courage. You will be courageous when you dare to grow when you dare to change, to accomplish, to fulfill your dreams.
You will be gutsy when you risk failing when you try new things when you squeeze your way into places to see what it is that you need to learn and do.
You will be brave when you are persistent and undeterred by your setbacks. Courage will allow you to be yourself and to accept yourself.
And finally, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths (your life’s journey.) Proverbs 3:6 (KJV)
