Life Advice for our Graduates

Life Advice for our Graduates
by
May 06, 2026

Megan and I just returned from a trip to the beach celebrating our 17th anniversary. I am grateful to our youth for leading worship on Sunday and to our graduating seniors for giving the sermons. I watched on the livestream and was very inspired. They all did an incredible job!

We are now entering the month of graduations. Many of my Vanderbilt students are moving on to the next stage of life, ready for the unknown. Solomon famously writes in Ecclesiastes: “For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” Life keeps moving forward whether we want it to or not. Change is constant. Children grow up, move out of the house, and parents are left wondering where the time went, and why they didn’t treasure it more. The days can feel long, but the years go by fast. In a speech he once gave to the graduating class of Stanford, Steve Jobs said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living somebody else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” Here is some advice and wisdom for the class of 2026, whether high school, college, or beyond:

1. You are entering a rapidly changing world that is being completely transformed by technology and AI. Adaptability, creativity, and resilience will matter greatly at every stage. Do not be afraid of change.

2. Always recognize that life is a journey and not a destination. The key to happiness is to enjoy every stage that you are in and not always long for what’s next. The ability to be present matters.

3. Your attitude will always be a choice. Although circumstances may be out of your control, how you respond and react is always in your control. Your attitude will either be an obstacle or an asset. Make it an asset. Don’t become cynical.

4. Surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth and make you better. The values of those around you can quickly become your values. The friends you make and the company you keep is very important.

5. Carve out regular time for prayer, quiet, and reflection. The pace and noise of our modern world will run you into the ground if you let it. Burnout is real. Slowing down to rest and renew is very important.

6. Self-care is never self-centered. We all have physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. Don’t neglect any of these areas. Nobody else can do your self-care for you. Boundaries do matter.

7. Keep on learning every day. Life is a classroom, and we must keep learning as we grow older. The most successful people in life never stop learning and growing.

8. Recognize that life is full of change and change always involves loss. Change is inevitable but growth is always optional. Turn setbacks, disappointments, and dead ends into new opportunities and new beginnings. When one door closes, another usually opens.

9. Stay anchored in your faith and spiritual life, but recognize that your faith will change and grow over time. Our faith should evolve and grow as we get older.

10. Many of the decisions you will make in life boil down to choosing between love and fear. Love is always the better choice. Perfect love can cast out fear. When you find yourself afraid, try to lean in and love even harder.

Success in life is defined differently by different people. Here is Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous definition of success:

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and
the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure
the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one’s self;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and
sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived –
This is to have succeeded.

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