The following is an excerpt from a book entitled The Portable Pep Talk by Alexander Lockhart. I have read and referenced this book many times over the last several years. I think it only fitting to share this with our graduates who are heading out into what I call the "pre-adulting" phase of their lives.
It has been said that knowledge is power. The truth is that applied knowledge is power. It's not how much knowledge you acquire that counts, but how you use it. It's not what you know but what you do with what you know that produces results. Your knowledge should be put to use in a what that will enrich your life and the lives of others. You have the ability to perform at exceptional levels in at least one area of your life, given that you activate your thought processes through acquired knowledge. To move ahead of your current conditions, you must expand your current level of knowledge. Although we have the unlimited potential to learn, many of us only use a fraction of our minds.
Think smarter, think bigger, and commit yourself to lifelong learning.
Life will be your greatest teacher and the place where you can acquire the greatest knowledge. Learn from it!