Amazon founder Jeff Bezos spoke to the Princeton University graduates encouraging them to make choices in life that reflect their character. He relayed stories from his childhood which illustrate that cleverness could do well to be replaced with kindness.  He  also encouraged grads to “take the less-safe path” to pursue their passions. During his address, he asked a series of questions that I found quite powerful and worth all of us reflecting on–whether we are a few days, years or decades from our last formal school experience.

Time Magazine’s 1999 Man of the Year asked graduates to consider the following:

• Will inertia be your guide or will you follow your passions?
• Will you follow dogma or will you be original?
• Will you choose a life of ease or a life of service and adventure?
• Will you wilt under criticism or will you follow your convictions?
• Will you bluff it out when you are wrong or will you apologize?
• Will you guard your heart against rejection or will you fall in love?
• Will you play it safe or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?
• When it’s tough will you give up or will you be relentless?
• Will you be a cynic or will you be a builder?
• Will you be clever at the expense of others or will you be kind?

“In the end we are our choices” ~Jeff Bezos

Click to watch his introduction and speech here.

All the best!

Rena M. Reese

Founder, Soul Salon International

Rena Reese
http://mysoulsalon.com/

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