Confidence is Important

Yesterday I attended the college graduation of many of my friends from my school. A year after I had done it so many things seemed better for this years graduates. While it was snowing (yes in May) at my graduation, this year was sunny, in fact I even have a sun burn on my head. The speakers were funny and quick, while mine were monotonous and drug out. This graduation was far better than my own, and for more than weather reasons.
When you are sitting out in the crowd waiting to graduate, hearing all of those accolades like “The world is yours,” “You can live any life you choose,” feels empowering. You are ready to get out there and get started. However, once you do you find that options are a little bit more limited than your commencement speaker let on.
Sitting in the stands a year later, watching people where I was just 12 months ago, was somehow more empowering than hearing the dribble from the speech makers’ lips. Knowing that each year a new class will graduate and in that I find I’m not alone. Seeing so many other people in such a similar place, returned my self confidence. Yeah, finding a job is hard, but it’s hard for almost everybody. I feel less alone with this new set of graduates coming into the “real world” as their parents will call it.
So much has changed for me in this first year after graduating, call it experience if you want, but it has boosted my confidence, I am no longer just a recent grad, that title belong to my friends who walked across the stage to get their diplomas yesterday. Now I am Recent Grad with work experience, and here I come.