The latest group of high school seniors from our coverage area (Fayetteville-Manlius, Jamesville-DeWitt, East Syracuse-Minoa, Manlius Pebble Hill, Christian Brothers Academy and Bishop Grimes) have already or will soon cross the stage and become high school graduates, and the recent commencement ceremonies were as well done and moving as ever. It is difficult to know what to say to recent graduates when seeking to give them life advice, especially if one wants to avoid clichés and repetition. We’ve heard various messages given over the years, with some of the most meaningful being to live a life of purpose and responsibility.

Life is full of constant lessons and educational moments, and one must be not only aware, but also self-aware, in order to take advantage of many of them. For our two cents that we offer this year’s graduates, we say: pay attention. Know yourself and your environment; know what you can do, recognize what you should do and determine with intrepidity what you will do. Recognize and appreciate the people around you. Life is all about who you know. There will be acquaintances and friendships, colleagues and mentors, adversaries and maybe even enemies — every relationship has an impact, both on you and from you, and the self-aware person will accept responsibility for what they offer and accept from other people. And this brings us to our final point:

Be a good person.

We know some will disagree with us, but, money, possessions, reputation, fame … they are all hollow boxes, knickknacks made of straw, if you acquire them or keep them on the basis of your arrogance, your rudeness, your selfishness, your apathy towards other people. As we have said before, even to members of this particular graduating class during the past year, personal character matters. Your life is not just the goal you reach, but also how you get there.