great advice.

Today I read the graduation speech George Saunders gave at Syracuse University this year, and it stayed with me all day long.  The New York Time recently published the speech, and I would highly recommend it as a worthwhile read.  Saunders gives advice to the young graduates about what he regrets most in his life.  What does he regret most? failures of kindness. 

The following pieces rang especially true for me:

"Failures of kindness...those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded...sensibly.  Reservedly. Mildly.

"Or, to look at it from the other end of the telescope: who, in your life, do you remember most fondly, with the most undeniable feelings of warmth?  Those who were the kindest to you, I bet." 

"One thing in our favor:  some of this “becoming kinder” happens naturally, with age.  ...We get our butts kicked by real life, and people come to our defense, and help us, and we learn that we’re not separate, and don’t want to be.  We see people near and dear to us dropping away, and are gradually convinced that maybe we too will drop away (someday, a long time from now)." 

"So go do all the other things, the ambitions things - travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes, swim naked in wild jungle rivers (after having first tested for monkey poop) - but as you do, to the extent you can, err in the direction of kindness. Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial."

"I'd say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder."

Isn't that just beautiful?  I love a great graduation speech.  It almost makes me want to go outside and hug the first person I meet!  It's true for me that looking back over my life so far - the people who have meant the most and who I remember most fondly - are the ones who were there for me and kind to me at my lowest.  You can read the full speech here.  And a big thank you to A CUP OF JO for introducing me to it and so much more.