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How to Say Goodbye to an Era

I'm not good at this Graduation stuff. Actually I'm not good when anything reaches finality. Beginnings are alright, but I really love the good, comfortable middle of a phase. Where you settle into yourself, your surroundings and think I'm never leaving! But look at life, your time here in High school, your time over there in college, your NYC days. No matter how good a phase is, you have to wrap it up sometime.

So, I told you already I'm no good when it becomes time to wrap things up. Looking at my past patterns, I'm going to figure out how to close a phase right. Maybe these guidelines will help you too.

1. Do Not Enter Nostalgia Before It's Over

Do not miss something that is still present and still happening. Don't start the "remember when"s when there is plenty of time to make a new memory. Snap out of it! We need you over here, we're trying to have a good time! There will be a time, way way down the road, you will have time to sit on a porch and reflect on your good ol' days. Until then, you must get up, wipe your tears, and keep dancing with your friends.

2. Just Do That Thing You Always Wanted To Do

You know that phrase that says "What Could Have Been" is the saddest sentence in the human language? It is true. When you do reach that porch, the porch you get to sit on and dial back on every great memory, you are not supposed to have regrets to think about. No, you are not allowed to have regrets. I'd rather you say, "I can't believe I did that" instead of "I should have done that."

3. You Don't Have to Do Everything

To follow up number 2, do not exhaust yourself trying to do everything under the sun while you can. This is the difficult part - You must decide what is important to you. You don't have to go with the crowd in your final days of this great phase. I think you'll identify what your fondest places, moments, and people are. That is where your time and energy belongs.

4. Don't Say Goodbye - Say See You Later

When I graduated high school, my friends and I shared a very tearful embrace and said a big Goodbye. A month later at Thanksgiving we all said, "Hey, What's up!" Everything packs up with us and goes with us everywhere we go. Your college friends will be the ones you call up when business sends you to a new city for a night. Katie has an apartment for you to stay in and a cool bar to show you. Your friendships will require more work, more "catching up", but they will stay there for you when you need them.

5. Sacrifice a few extra dollars, Sacrifice a few extra hours of sleep

For a chance to spend the best money you ever spent or the best night you ever had. You'll have money and time to sleep down the road.

You won't get this phase back, you won't get the same people in the same place at the same time again. But you must believe that the next phase will be better, even though that is hard to believe. I spent some time with a couple of 60 year olds who agreed, Their lives did not turn out at all how they expected - they turned out even better.

No one is actually good at saying goodbye. But there are some champions at this game that rally the troops until the end. Let's be that champion! This is a lot to put on your plate, these are big thoughts and these are tips that are not simply followed. Just go out there, full speed ahead, and live more in the present than you ever have. No looking forward, no looking back, right now you are here.

Alright, go do it! Wrap it up like a rock star!


DO YOURSELF A FAVOR, WATCH THESE MOVIES

#1 

The Princess Bride

 

#2

When Harry Met Sally

 

#3

Pirates of Carribbean III: At World's End

(No, this is not Irony, this film is good)

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