Lessons for living well

Life is full of lessons, some hard-earned and others passed down through wisdom and experience. Television journalist Katie Couric has seen and lived through it all - triumphs, challenges, and deeply personal losses. In a powerful speech, she shared seven timeless lessons for living well, reminding us that some of the most valuable advice often comes wrapped in clichés - because they hold undeniable truth.

“They may be clichés. But as my husband, Jay, used to say, clichés become clichés because they usually contain some essential truth.

“Number one, I highly recommend you all become members of the two H club: hard work and humility….”

“Number two: Be passionate. Do what you love, even if you don’t love it every day. I knew I had to be a journalist because I’m deeply curious about the world, I love to write, and I saw that when properly practiced, it’s a craft that can help galvanize an often complacent citizenry, and make a difference....”

“But to land that dream job, you’ll need something else. Which brings me to lesson number three: Persistence.”

“The fourth lesson that has served me well, that I know you will have to call upon at some point in your lives, is resilience. As John Lennon wrote, “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” You will inevitably face disappointment, loss, and struggles that are, at this moment, inconceivable and impossible to predict.”

“The subject of disappointment brings me to my fifth point: Be fearless. Have the courage to take risks. Go where there are no guarantees. Get out of your comfort zone, even if it means being uncomfortable.”

“My sixth point is often the one that takes the longest to learn, although your generation seems to have gotten a head start. Service is better than selfishness, and usually a lot more rewarding.”

“My seventh and final lesson is: Find the joy. Life goes by in an instant. In this fast-paced, crazy world, slow down enough to appreciate and revel in the many things you will experience — a baby’s smile, the beautiful symmetry of a cherry blossom, the embrace of a comforted friend, the spectacular palate of a desert sunset.”

_{Source: Couric, Katie. Williams College. Williamstown, Massachusetts. 3 June 2007. Commencement Address.}