Mr. Kougl: Advice to Seniors
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Mr. Kougl
When I was first asked to write down my advice to seniors, I was confused. As a new member to the group, I didn’t feel it was my place to advise the geriatric world. That’s about the time I realized that they meant high school seniors. So, now I must come up with some words of wisdom to pass on to succeeding generations. The following may contain some ubiquitous cliches from the standard valedictorian speech, but I will attempt to be somewhat original.
As you head out into the world to pursue your dreams, I implore you to keep expanding your knowledge. Don’t focus on one area, and definitely don’t strictly focus on your areas of strength. Take a risk and study topics which are a little more difficult for you. When I coached little league baseball, I made extra effort to help my less skilled players improve. I also made sure to give them opportunities during games by picking up the batting order where it left off the previous game. This gave my “weaker” players extra opportunities in game situations. By the end of the season, my whole lineup was productive whereas other teams had six outs at the end of theirs. We were league champs three years in a row. Moral of the story, if you strengthen your “weaker” skills, whatever they may be, you will be stronger as a result.
If you are looking for some advice for life relationships, personal and professional, the word I think of as helping you along is compromise. I am not talking about compromising your principles. I want you to be willing to reach common ground in your relationships, whether it is a spousal equivalent or business/work associate, that help all parties move forward positively. When people take uncompromising positions, their relationship will be damaged, and they will have a difficult time moving in a positive direction. This is a major problem in our world today, so if you can learn the skill of finding the middle ground, you can be an effective leader. Ineffective leaders disregard their “subordinates” expertise and plow ahead unabated with their agenda.
Lastly, stop and smell the roses, figuratively and literally. Roses smell really good (unless you’re allergic, then they just make you sneeze). Take time to savor life and try to make the best of whatever is thrown your way. There is much to look forward to, but don’t wish away the moment.
