Go out and conquer the world

It’s that time of year again. In between rainstorms and such, high schools and colleges are unleashing classes full of graduates on to the world. Bright, enthusiastic young people are heading off to military, college, graduate school, or life ready to take it on.

They’ve all been told they are the future of the world. But it’s up to these fresh-faced young people to figure out what the world is so they can set about being its future.

That’s what the commencement speakers fail to do – tell them about the world they’re about to enter. They just tell them they can change it.

So these kids go off thinking they’re going to conquer the world because the commencement speaker whose name they’ve now forgotten told them so.

But you gotta know the world before you can conquer it. And once you get to know the world, you gotta figure out is conquering it worth the effort.

So listen up kids. Generations way before yours have all heard the same commencement speech. What we can tell you is that the world is pretty much a day-by-day kind of place. Some things change; some things don’t.

Here’s what you can do to make your mark on the world. Every day, do something nice for someone but just make it part of your day. No fanfare; no attention-grabbing; just do something nice. Doesn’t have to be big; just has to be nice.

Learn something every chance you get. Doesn’t have to come from great professors from great universities. Just learn something you didn’t know before that enriches your life. Coming in out of the rain is a good start. Keep an open mind; keep your eyes and ears open; your mouth less so.

Take care of your friends and family. Pets are part of your friends and family and they depend on you to make the world better. God wants us to love one another. Help each other. Feed the hungry; help the sick. Be satisfied with what you have. All you need is enough.

Find something you like to do and do it. Do it well. Do it without fanfare. Just do it.  

Sweep your own back porch, tend to your knitting, be honest, be kind, love thy neighbor – it ain’t rocket science, kids. The best thing you can be in this world is your own best self.

After you master that, you’ve conquered the world.