Laurie's Lessons

A few weeks ago, I attended the SFU Writing & Communications graduation reception.  Up until that point, I just thought that the editing certificate I was working toward was just going to be a piece of paper.  I wasn't expecting an actual ceremony with a keynote speaker, nor the lavish buffet that followed.

And I certainly wasn't expecting to be inspired.  I thought, "I've graduated before.  I've heard the spiel already.  I'll just get my certificate and head home."

Dr. Laurie Anderson, executive director of SFU Vancouver, delivered the keynote speech.  And he had me hanging on his every word.  He talked about dropping out of high school and leaving Scotland as a teenager.  He moved to BC and worked in trades and then decided that he deserved better.  He saw a counsellor and worried he'd be too old to go back to school, and the counsellor said he'd get older with or without his education.

He shared how nervous he was on his first day back to school (to finish his high school diploma) and how uncertain he was about the decision.  A teacher saw him standing in the hallway while he was debating whether or not he should leave, and told him to come in.  That teacher ended up inspiring him to pursue teaching, and he eventually went on to earn a PhD.

And strung along his life story were four lessons that he wished to impart on the graduates--all individuals who had pursued further education while juggling work, family, and life.  These four lessons ("Laurie's Lessons"), were morsels of encouragement that I needed to hear:

1. Listen to your inner voice.
2. Small steps make a difference.
3. Think "as if" rather than "if only".
4. Treat others as you wish to be treated.

All too often, I muffle my inner voice (1) and listen instead to what society and the media tell me I should be doing.  I forget that every success starts with a single step (2).  I compare my life to the lives of people whom I think are happier, and think that I won't get to do the things I love until I have more money (3).  For the most part, I treat others with kindness (4).

I went home that evening with an oath to myself to remember what I learned from Laurie.  I also left with a sense of pride--all those classes I took over the past four years culminated in a certification.  It was no longer just a piece of paper.  It was a reminder that I learned, and achieved.