It is getting to be that time of year again. I received my first graduation announcement just last week. I would like to say a few words to young people, heading into "graduation season," about education and about being successful after they graduate from school.  

Regardless of your field or interests, education by and of itself is not going to be enough to get you where you want to go. I know many of you have done a lot of work in school and you want to reap some rewards for that work. But the rewards that you earn, both material and otherwise, will not come from the knowledge you have, but rather the uses to which you put that knowledge.  

The world will not pay you for what you know. It will, however, pay you for what you can do with what you know. This means that you need to have the courage to act on your knowledge - to think creatively, risk criticism and failure, and to curb your anxiety level when the pressure is on. Something you may not have learned to do is control your self-talk, the things you say and think to yourself that can either undermine or enhance your efforts. 

Taking risks means moving out of your comfort zone. The things you say to yourself and the pictures you hold in your mind will be critical to how successfully you make that move. Believe in yourself and see yourself succeeding, no matter what happens, and reality will bear you out. You've done it before. You can do it again!