Be confident in yourself and your decisions - don't base things off of what others think.
It's important to be aware of the rationale for the decisions you make. Having a one-line answer for most of life's important questions is a good way I have learned to be concise and answer tough questions. Why do you want to work here? Why do you want to live in this city? Why are you voting for this candidate?
If you don't have answers to these questions yourself before they are asked, you start to let others' thoughts and insults get to you. I had to keep my composure as someone told me in a public meeting that the $80,000+ fundraiser I ran was a flop, and respond immediately with why I participate in Relay For Life. I've listened to dozens of people tell me graduating early was stupid, and (if they even asked) tell them why I did it. This isn't even talking behind people's backs, this is people putting your life decisions down in front of your face. At the end of the day, we can't be pessimists and allow this commentary to let us down. Acknowledging and understanding the reasons we are doing things helps us get through these times, rationalize our time and find a sense of purpose in the world.
We know nothing.
Whenever you think you have learned a lot, think about how much more there is out there that you don't know. I've been in multiple conversations alone this year that make me feel stupid and without knowledge, but that's how you learn. Whether conversations are religious or understanding the Evangelical Orthodox Church, learning how Alaskan residents get paid by the state or more Spanish vocabulary words, there is always more that you don't know.
International news matters.
Meeting international students, traveling and studying how news events abroad disseminate throughout the US has taught me the importance of paying attention to international news. With funding cut for news hubs, small sections for this in the newspaper and little coverage in local news, it takes extra effort to learn about what is going on in other countries. But it can and will affect us and is important to know.
Don’t join an organization that you cannot contribute anything to.
We should be past the point in our lives where we're doing mindless things as resume builders. Hence, joining a group you know you will not do the work for hurts everyone. It doesn't only make it bad for your sense of contribution or belonging to a group, but for the organization's operations. I was in a meeting of 30 people earlier this year for a student foundation at Mizzou and when asked for two volunteers for an event, no one in the room offered. There is no point of even having a club if no one wants to participate. Therefore, even if timing and conflict will arise between activities, discover why you are passionate about the organizations you are a part of so you still want to help them even when you're busy.
People don't grow up.
Adults fight and create drama in their work environments. They hold grudges and have exclusive lunch and dinner dates with co-workers they trust or become friends with. 30-somethings still pretend it is someone's birthday at dinner to get a free dessert. Bosses play favorites and move others around for grave reasons. People steal. These and many other examples show that even adults settle to these levels of behavior!
A lot of people are selfish.
There's nothing I value more than true selflessness. I haven't met many people who achieve this, but someone who can listen in a conversation and not contribute comments about their own lives are the most admirable out there.
We are at a time in our lives where everyone wants what is best for them. That could be serious things like the best job or relationship, simple decisions like the best time to go grocery shopping or even situational decisions like having control and exerting opinion. This is a lesson I can say I had a tough time grasping. If someone sent me an email, I could never stare at it and not respond. I get anxious if I don't reply to someone's call or text message within hours of it being received. I have learned to acknowledge that other people do not operate like this, and can leave your voicemail on their phone for a month without even listening to it. Ignore your text about lunch, or never deliver on what they said they would in an email. Everyone's definition of important and priorities are different, so know that people do what is best for them.
Adults fight and create drama in their work environments. They hold grudges and have exclusive lunch and dinner dates with co-workers they trust or become friends with. 30-somethings still pretend it is someone's birthday at dinner to get a free dessert. Bosses play favorites and move others around for grave reasons. People steal. These and many other examples show that even adults settle to these levels of behavior!
A lot of people are selfish.
There's nothing I value more than true selflessness. I haven't met many people who achieve this, but someone who can listen in a conversation and not contribute comments about their own lives are the most admirable out there.
We are at a time in our lives where everyone wants what is best for them. That could be serious things like the best job or relationship, simple decisions like the best time to go grocery shopping or even situational decisions like having control and exerting opinion. This is a lesson I can say I had a tough time grasping. If someone sent me an email, I could never stare at it and not respond. I get anxious if I don't reply to someone's call or text message within hours of it being received. I have learned to acknowledge that other people do not operate like this, and can leave your voicemail on their phone for a month without even listening to it. Ignore your text about lunch, or never deliver on what they said they would in an email. Everyone's definition of important and priorities are different, so know that people do what is best for them.
