Double-dose of Grad Lessons

“You know Jordan, my dad always told me a parked car never goes anywhere. You have to put it in drive and give it some gas and then you will go places.”

As I was sitting in Walker this morning, this is the advice my friend Lydia told me as I began to complain about not knowing what to do after graduation, which may I add is only a bittersweet nine weeks from now.

But, that is the big question on all the senior’s minds right now and if it is not, then that is because they either have a job promised (lucky ducks) or they are in even worse condition than I am which let me say is not good.

Everyone is asking it: “What are you going to do after graduation?” And by now, most of us have a memorized answer consisting of a few options that sound good but really are just vague ideas you have thought of. Some say they have turned in applications to some corporation, some are looking at internships…again… and then some are going to graduate school. However, my favorite and the one that I used a lot last semester was this: “I am not really sure but I am just going to wait to see where God leads”.

Oh yes, I wore that saying out quicker than Paris Hilton’s famous line: “That’s hot”.

It’s not that there is no truth to the statement but for those of us who really don’t know what we want to do; it can become an excuse to do nothing. To simply sit back, not apply for jobs, not make connections and then we find ourselves back in the bedroom of our parent’s house where pictures of you and your high school buddies are still hung. It’s like you have to start all over again except this time you have $100,000 degree in your back pocket, weighing you down.

Talk about pressure.

However, I am learning this is not going to work. I don’t want to end up back in my parents’ house and I am sure that it not the dream for you. If it is, then more power to you. I wish you all the happiness in world.

But today in our chapel, Blake Mycoskie, the very attractive founder of TOMS, see:



{gawking..gawking..okay back to it}

Well, in his talk he simply reiterated what Lydia was teaching me in Walker. Blake explained how all of his success and all of his growth as a company did not happen until he had all ready gone “all in”. He had invested everything he had into the company. He put the car in drive and gave it some gas, and then it took off. Now look at where he is!!

So I had double the wake-up call today, one from a close friend and one from a very successful business entrepreneur. The call is simply to go all in. We can’t just sit around and let God move our car for us. We have to put it in drive and give it some gas. We have to take the initiative. This means trying to find something we are really passionate about whether an organization, a cause, a story, a hobby, whatever it may be. Find something that awakes the dreamer and passions deep within you and pursue it hard core. Give away your resume, even if it is to 100 different companies. Keep trying, keep going.

This is a big time of life we are about to embark on. God’s on our side. We are a part of His plan which includes both failures and successes. But YOU and I have to try!

We won’t go anywhere in park. So join with me as I hop in my car, take the scary risk of putting it in drive, and put that pedal to the medal. Once we get going, let us refuse to stop until we have reached the destination God wants us to reach.