Some words of wisdom for the Classes of 2017 as well as the rest of us
This week Plumas County is all about graduation — from preschoolers to sixth-graders to the high school classes of 2017. Next week’s newspaper will be filled with smiling grads in their caps and gowns. There will be excerpts from some of the speeches given by the class valedictorians as well as words of wisdom from keynote addresses. No doubt there will be phrases that capture our attention and some even may stand the test of time.
As we looked for words of inspiration for this editorial, we paused after reading some of the quotes listed below. All are thought provoking and not just for this year’s crop of graduates. There is something for each of us to take away and apply to our own lives.
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. President John F. Kennedy
Follow your passion, it will lead you to your purpose. Oprah Winfrey
Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you will be criticized anyway. Eleanor Roosevelt
The two most important days in the world are the day you were born and day you find out why. Mark Twain
It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default. J.K. Rowling
Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them. Unknown
The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it. Pablo Picasso
And this is the part where you find out who you are. Unknown
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou
If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done. Thomas Jefferson
Don’t ever confuse the two — your life and your work. The second is only part of the first. Anna Quindlen
We congratulate the Classes of 2017 and wish each of them the very best as they enter the next chapters in their lives and can’t wait to read the stories that they choose to write.