Sometimes the best advice starts with telling someone "don't."
ESPN Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas delivered the commencement address to graduates of Queens University of Charlotte on Saturday, offering a bit of life advice about important things like family, career and selifes.
"In the future, you will really like the way you look now," Bilas said. "Chances are, this is the smallest your butt will ever be. And, you will never have more hair than you have now. Memorialize it. You have a camera with you all the time. Take selfies."
Bilas is a former NCAA Tournament Announcer with CBS Sports, who played men's basketball at Duke University in the 1980's. He later served as an assistant coach at Duke before becoming a lawyer.
He reminded students it's just fine to be a little bit nervous: "A little bit of fear is good. It means that you care."
But we thought some of Bilas' best advise was in what he told graduates not to do.
Some of his "Don't" advice was fairly obvious, like "don't look at Internet porn at work." But we often forget some of his other "don't"s:
Don't fear failure in your career. Fear failure with your family. When it comes to your family, “I don’t have the time” is not an excuse. Make the time. You won’t regret it. If you don’t make the time, you will absolutely regret it.
Don’t worry about how much money you make right now. Worry about what you want to do. It is easier to pursue what you really want to do now because you don’t have as many obligations. Life can get complicated in a hurry, and it is usually because you have bills to pay and mouths to feed, and you cannot take the job you want because it doesn’t pay what you need it to pay. Live within your means and save your money, but pursue what you love and what you want to do, and the money will follow. It almost always does.
You don’t get to “have it all”. Nobody does. The most important thing is to find the balance that is right for you. Some call it “Work-Life Balance”. But, work is a big part of your life. I prefer “Work-Family Balance.” Find the right balance for you. Understand that you won’t have it all, but if you put your family first, you will have all you need.
Don’t delay gratitude. Make sure and say “thank you” to all of the people that helped put you in this position. And, make sure and ask those people for money. Do it now, while they are weak and defenseless.