Thoughts on leaving home

As Daniel Boone’s mother told her young son, “A boy will remain a boy until it becomes necessary for him to become a man.” As you soon leave home an avalanche of challenges and decisions will lie before you. Your character will be tested. Many of the ruts you cut will stay with you the rest of your life so choose them carefully. The greatest danger many young people face during their first period of life is not to take a risk! Too many settle for less than they are destined to become. It is far too easy to seek out a comfort zone of mediocrity, comfort, ease and pleasure. At all costs, do not do this! Achieve what you were meant to achieve. Set goals and push yourself to achieve them!

A recent poll was taken of people in their 90s who were asked, “If you could live your life over what would you do differently? The three most repeated answers are worth considering as you plot your own life’s journey. They said they would risk more, reflect more and invest in things that would outlive them. I remember a General Officer addressing our class of 700 Officer Candidates while I was in U.S. Air Force training. He said, “Be a risk taker!” I never forgot that. As you consider adults in all walks of life it is very evident who are the risk-takers and who are not. Most are not. Taking informed, knowledgeable risks is part of stretching yourself outside your comfort margins.

Mark Twain said, “We’re all ignorant, just in different things.” Remember, we all arrive as a novice at each age of life! Growing requires one to be humble, ask questions, learn and make it your goal to make your employer successful. Remember those you work for often want to help you become a better worker. They want to impart to you their knowledge and wisdom! Tap into that!

In our world we are constantly bombarded by the media so it takes disciplined effort to carve out time for reflection, but you need to take time to evaluate where you are and where you want to go! This is important. A recent survey by Forbes Magazine asked leaders of America’s top businesses what they attributed to their personal financial success. The survey showed that success came from having measurable, written goals. However, only 5 percent had written goals and those same 5 percent were the highest wage earners. Discipline yourself to set financial, physical, academic, spiritual and social goals. That is the path to success.

Speaking of financial goals, did you know if a person puts $2,000 a year away in an Individual Retirement Account (where it grows tax free) between the ages 16 and 21 and invests that money in an S&P 500 Index fund, which has historically had a 10 percent annual return, by age 65 that $12,000 initial investment will be $1 million. Learn the rule of 72 to discover how money grows exponentially through compounded interest.

Most people leaving home after high school do not know what they want to do with their lives. There are ways, however, to discover your gift or calling. Ask yourself, what others compliment you on, where do you see improvements that need to be made and what do you eagerly anticipate doing? Chase your dreams! Those you see as successful had their own moments of doubt, disappointment and discouragement, but they persevered! You can, too! Napoleon said, “The victory goes to the most persevering.” Set goals for your life that require you to be at your best, develop a burning desire to make it happen, keep your eyes on the prize, refuse to listen to critics and make it a point to be around encouraging people.

One of my favorite Bible verses reads, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) God made you and has a purpose for your life. He can put you in a position where you are “operating on all cylinders!” We all have a need for belonging, worth and competency but it is most satisfying to do and be what you were designed for! God can make that happen when you surrender to Him.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed and the Bible warns young people to guard their hearts. Often those who finish high school at the top get knocked off course by the temptations offered by the world. (The Bible calls that “riotous living”) It takes self-discipline to stay the course. Consider writing your own personal constitution to guide you on your journey to adulthood. Let it serve as your guide when confronted by the inevitable temptations that lie ahead. Decide now how you will respond when faced with an offer of drugs or anything else that will violate your conscience. Having already made the decision to say no will help you greatly in those moments. In the military we try to train as we would fight in battle, so train for the spiritual and moral battles to come. As Mark Twain said, “The weakest thing in the world is virtue that has never been tested.”

As you leave home and experience a new freedom it is important to remember, freedom is both a privilege and a responsibility. It is also an opportunity to build your character. Character is who you are when no one else is looking and in all of life character counts. So take time to ask yourself the character questions: Am I trustworthy? Am I the kind of person I would want as my confidant? Am I loyal, positive, a genuine listener? Do I truly care for others and am I charitable with my time and resources? Would I want me as a friend? The law of reciprocity is universal and certainly biblical: “you reap what you sow, more than you sow and later than you sow.” So make sure you are sowing the seeds of kindness and love and integrity. In other words, as the prophet Micah said, “…act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” Live your life today so that decades from now you can look back and can say I have no regrets!

Loren Lippincott represents Legislative District 34 in the Nebraska State Senate. Read his column in the Nance County Journal.