Jennifer Bonn

BY JENNIFER BONN

May is graduation month, and students all over the country are preparing to start a new adventure as they graduate from high school to college or from college to the workforce. They are facing major life changes and can use some advice. These suggestions might help. • Take it slowly. Savor the new experiences and take time to enjoy the changes and adventures. If you enter this new chapter of your life with fear and trepidation, you will miss some valuable moments. Take one step at a time and believe that you can accomplish your dreams.

• Be the calm in the eye of the storm, not the storm

cloud. Whenever there is change and new beginnings, there is bound to be stress and upheaval. You have a choice in how you react to each situation. Keep moving forward, change plans when needed and learn from each experience.

• Asking for help is a sign of wisdom, not weakness.

Ask the experts and do it right the first time instead of making life more difficult by trying to do everything yourself. The people in your life will feel honored that you asked for help. • Stay in touch with your contacts. Relationships are everything in life, so when you have a good one, keep it, even if it takes more effort because someone is not nearby. The more positive relationships we have, the better off we are. • Attitude is everything. How you approach and react to a situation is your choice, and it can change completely what will happen. It also has a big effect on the people around you. • Failure will teach you valuable lessons for success. As hard as this lesson is to accept, it is true that we learn from failure. It hurts, but keep getting back in the game and trying a different approach. The only true failure is when you give up. • Serving others will make you better. I believe we are meant to help one another, and when we can direct our attention beyond ourselves, it shows us how blessed we are and makes us feel good that we can extend those blessings to others. • You don’t have to be perfect to be stupendous. Instead of worrying about someone discovering your weaknesses, confess them and listen to everyone else make the same confessions. Being transparent about your imperfections is liberating and endearing. • You cannot fix toxic people, so run away. Don’t try to figure out why they are being hateful or manipulative or are making you miserable. They have issues, and you will not be able to solve them. Surround yourself with people who make you laugh and lift you up.

Jennifer Bonn is a freelance writer in Kennesaw and a recently retired 40-year educator. Her book, “101 Tips to Lighten Your Burden,” was recently released and is available on Amazon.