Don't walk through life just playing football

Last night, I was fortunate enough to return to my high school and speak at the Mu Alpha Theta math honor society induction ceremony. I went through most of high school avoiding public speaking, so it was ironic to find myself back in the auditorium making a speech. In an attempt to convince myself that I'm not old , I may have said "on fleek", admitted that I have the Bieber fever, and mentioned Cam Newton's famous "dab" move in my speech, but my primary focus was to give these students some pointers as they go through the next stages of their lives. Frankly, these pointers are things I need to remind myself of on a daily basis, so I decided to adapt the speech in order to relate to anyone making lifestyle changes to better themselves. Enjoy :)

#1 It's OK to make mistakes.

Think back to math class. When you have a multi-step math problem in front of you, you are often awarded partial credit for showing your work even if you do not arrive at the correct answer. You learn from the mistakes that you made and the next time you encounter that math problem, you do it correctly. This equates to life. No one is perfect. You get credit for every action you take. The most successful people are not the ones that crumble when they make a mistake. The most successful people take every single action they’ve made into consideration and learn from their mistakes to better themselves. They pick themselves up and keep going even stronger than before.

#2 The only constant in life is change.

It is only natural for goal oriented people to have detailed plans for their future. I’ll give you my plan for example. As a junior in high school, I was planning on going to High Point University in North Carolina, majoring in nutrition or another health related field, running cross country and track all four years, and then moving back to Maryland after graduation. What really happened? I went to the University of Delaware, ran cross country and track for one year, majored in dietetics (which I didn’t even know existed until my freshman orientation at UD), and moved to New York City. I expected my life to be predictable, but I quickly found out that life is far from predictable. The only thing you can always count on to happen in your life is change. Embrace it because, I know this sounds cliché, but everything happens for a reason. Plus, how boring would it be if life was linear and static?

#3 Regardless of what career you choose, being a strong, dedicated student will set you far ahead of your peers.

I can remember taking my AP Calculus exam in high school and thinking, what are the chances that I am going to use derivatives in my future career? What I didn’t realize is that math isn’t just a set of numbers and functions. It is a complex subject that makes you think outside of the box and sharpens your critical thinking skills. Math is in every single career. Some careers require very complex math, while some careers like mine require basic math skills and a strong understanding of statistics. Even outside of your career, being an adult requires math. You need to budget your money, you need to save money, and you need to pay off your loans. Math is everywhere. You may question why you have to take specific classes in high school and college, but remember that each of these classes are shaping your critical thinking skills, making you a more well rounded person, and strengthening your abilities to tackle real world problems.

#4 Take time to do something for yourself.

I can probably bet that each and every one of you reading this blog post is always going non-stop with little free time. While it is good to stay busy, take a minute and breathe. Go sit outside and catch some rays. Watch an episode of your favorite TV show. Go to lunch with a friend. Read a book for fun. Go running. Ultimately, you will be more successful if you take a break and take care of yourself.

#5 And finally...

I am a big Ravens fan and I think Ray Lewis is one of the hardest working athletes to have ever played the game of football. He said something once that really hits home now that I’ve graduated high school and college. He said, “Don’t walk through life just playing football. Don’t walk through life just being an athlete. Athletics will fade. Character and integrity and really making an impact on someone’s life, that’s the ultimate vision, that’s the ultimate goal.” Impacting someone’s life makes your life significantly more meaningful. People will forget about your accomplishments, but they will always remember how you made them feel. I do not remember Ray Lewis’s football stats, but I can 100% remember that overwhelming feeling of excitement and pride as he marched onto that field and gave his teammates a pep talk at each game.

So, ask yourself, how are people going to remember me?