Conclusion: The Last Lecture

I’m just a student in life, continually learning and growing. Business is an interesting world and over the last 15 years I’ve learned much. Take my advice, or don’t. Here’s what I know to be true, to help you maintain joy in your journey of life:

Don’t be afraid to dream – Have crazy ideas. Have dreams. Have really big plans. You are only limited by what you think you can do. Others will always be critics and may not support you and may laugh at your ideas. Use this as strength to try even harder to accomplish your dreams.

Don’t forget the people who helped you along the way – Loyalty is rare and cannot be bought. Those who support you and encourage you and believe in you are invaluable in your journey. Don’t leave them behind when success comes. Success may not be long-lasting, but the people who helped you along the way will always be there as long as you don’t forget them and show your appreciation.

Have balance – Life will always be full of work. Life will not always be full of the people we love. Tragedies come and we must handle death when we’re not ready or not expecting it. Those people we love are in our lives for a short time. You could suddenly die tomorrow and your employer will replace you within a couple weeks. The people in your life (family, friends, spouse, children) will never replace you. Make time for them as well as your work. Do not be so focused on work that you lose track of those who love you more than your work.

Do what you love – Work is part of life for everyone. Work can be miserable if you don’t enjoy it or are working to satisfy an employer instead of your dreams and goals. The happiest people in the workforce have a job that they love. If you dread going to work, its time to make a change. Find something you love and work hard at it and you will have great joy in your work as well as personal life.  

Have Integrity - Don’t be in a job that brings you down. Know what you will stand for and tolerate and be willing to go for it if you’re being asked to cross the line you’ve drawn. Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe in and you stand for. Not everybody will understand and you may stand alone, but it is worth it to your soul and to those who look up to you to be true to yourself and keep your integrity.

Don’t ever forget where you came from – As I have travelled and worked through levels of leadership in my work life I’ve seen many types of people. Leaders, CEOs, who are very wealthy, powerful people and they treat others lower than them without any care. I’ve seen other leaders who treat those who may be working for them in hotels or as drivers or as wait staff with genuine kindness. We are all human beings. What you have achieved in life or been able to earn is great. For you. Your earnings don’t determine your rank in the world. There was once a time when you were that poor college student barely getting by before you achieved great success. Don’t forget that. Let those times keep you humble.