The Atlantic

Dear Graduates, Never Wait Your Turn

For those who strive to be more than average, discomfort is a source of strength.
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Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series of commencement addresses commissioned by The Atlantic for students who will not be able to attend their graduations because of the pandemic. Find the collection here.

Congratulations to the class of 2020. This is the point where I’m supposed to project calm and confidence, and reassure you that everything you’re experiencing right now will be a tiny footnote in the life you’ve imagined for yourself. But I would be lying. The last thing you need is someone else trying to sell you certainty in these uncomfortably fluid times.

But the uncertainty shouldn’t make you panic or heighten your anxiety.

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