Such wisdom from one of our Gibson County CEO entrepreneurs, as he nears Graduation…
Thank you, Alaric! 🙏😀

My years of K-12 are (almost) over, here are some of the most important lessons I have learned, in no particular order.

1. Be Curious

If you're not asking yourself "why?" about 8 (or more) times a day, you're doing something wrong. As I increase in age, (I know I'm not that old) I find it increasingly easy to stay stuck on opinions I have formed based on current knowledge. The best thing you can do for yourself is to be curious, listen to people, and try to understand their point of view. Not only will you broaden your scope of knowledge, but you will be more adaptable. Instead of certain situations seeming like a border or a block, it is simply another step to get where you are headed. Upholding curiosity in your daily life will make life much more enjoyable and you will begin to appreciate every aspect of life.

2. Be Accountable

Those of you who know me know I haven't always been the most accountable person. However, what I've learned is that even when you mess up or do something wrong, it smooths over much quicker whenever you take accountability for your actions and learn from your mistakes. The first step to resolving a problem is to realize you have that problem, and take accountability for it. Being accountable also improves peoples opinions of you, it makes you seem more reliable, you'll be seen as trustworthy, and people will be much more forgiving when mistakes happen.

3. Be Understanding

It's often that I hear someone complaining about their parents, it's not necessarily a bad thing to complain; complaining is a coping mechanism that allows us to not bottle up negative thoughts and feelings that eat away at our brains. However, I've grown to understand that it is my parents first time living life too, and while they have over double the years of experience at living than I do, they still are experiencing new challenges and ideas that are unfamiliar to them. The only thing you know about somebody is what they share, and most of the times lives are significantly more complex than what is shared. Ever since I've tried to teach myself to be more understanding, I am at peace with myself regarding other peoples situations.

4. Don't Worry About Others

After my best friend moved into my house, it was a struggle for me to not worry about his well being 24/7. I care deeply about his safety and I did (and said) some things I regret because I just wanted him to be okay. What I had yet to learn is that I have to be okay with being uncomfortable for him. I'm not saying don't care about others, you should care about others and what they do. However, you don't need to worry about every little thing that goes on in their lives, they will learn how to do things for themselves on their own. Separating your life experience from theirs and letting them learn how to do things their way is the best way to do things. (This doesn't mean you shouldn't correct them if they are doing wrong. However, just letting them figure out how to do it right.)

5. Don't be a Downer

The biggest trap that I see people fall into, including myself, is becoming a downer. It's extremely easy to fall into a victim mentality where you think everything that everyone else does is the worst thing ever and that the world is going to end. The simplest way to fix this? Just keep it positive, don't let the things people say to you get to you. It's okay to have bad days, or bad weeks. However, what's not okay is when on those bad days you say nothing good happened, you woke up. That's amazing, you are still living the life that you were meant to lead and you're doing amazing at it. Even though you might not see it now.

6. Do The Hard Thing

Hard things are difficult to accomplish, it sounds stupid, but it's true. It's hard to admit that you're wrong. It's hard to cut people out of your life. It's hard to say sorry. In my experience, things are a lot better when you do the hard thing. Some of these I am significantly better at then others, as some of you can tell. But, it's still important that you do that hard thing. I know I recently announced I would be going to IU, but I had to do the hard thing and realize that at this current state, it's just not financially feasible for me. Same with pursuing my dream, I really want to do theater, but I also know I do need a backup plan just incase that doesn't work out. Doing the hard thing makes life a lot easier in the long run.

7. Be Thankful

In my time as a server (and even further, a person), my favorite people are always the ones who were thankful. They could have said no other words to me than "thank you" and they would instantly rise to the top 10% of my favorite customers. You will realize how much good is truly in the world if you start appreciating every little thing that goes on around you, the world will seem a lot brighter and you will be infinitely more excited for the sun to rise the next day. So whether it's a teacher, a server, or someone holding open the door for you, thank them. The world would be a better place if we could just appreciate everyone.

8. Don't Rush Into Things

Need I explain more? Not rushing into things gives you time to do it correctly, and make the decisions that are right for you. This has been a large challenge for me, I'm very much a 'yes' person, which has its many benefits, but allows for several stressful and time-consuming projects to come about at once. While I do not regret any of my yesses, I sometimes wish I had thought more about the consequences of saying yes. This can be said for anything, whether that be relationships, time commitments, or jobs. Furthermore, not rushing allows you to slow down and appreciate what's going on around you and to live in the present moment.

I have learned so many more lessons than just these, however these stick out to me as important life skills. As I reflect on my career as a student, I truly see the value that each person has had in my life. I cannot thank those who have helped me to learn to grow enough. They are all amazing people who continue to inspire me to this day.