The Places You'll Go

Advice for new graduates and, of course, negotiators.

Photo by RUT MIIT on Unsplash

“Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in a word, whatever are not our own actions.”

—Epictetus

In the U.S., the spring season has particular meaning for graduates of high schools, colleges and universities — heck, even preschoolers moving up to kindergarten — across the country. Commencement ceremonies abound, reaching peak levels in mid-May, as our friends and loved ones complete degrees and move on to their next great life challenges.

Graduation ceremonies represent milestones in the lives of our students, whose accomplishments should be celebrated. So, yes, there’s a lot of pomp and circumstance that comes with graduations. Sometimes, the ceremonies seem to go on, and on . . . and then on some more . . . and that’s fine. You hear uplifting memes throughout, like “follow your passion!”, “there’s a whole world out the…