Miss Peacock’s
Words of Wisdom
Why Me???
• One might wonder
how much wisdom
a 29 year old can
have.
• Compared to a 14
year old, I may
actually be wise!
• I’m a sucker.
• Secretly, I just love
giving speeches, so
I said yes!
Platitudes
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Be a good person.
Be a lifelong learner.
Forgive others.
Look on the bright side.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Treat others with respect.
Laughter is the best medicine.
It’s what’s on the inside that counts.
Don’t make promises you can't keep.
You’ll regret the things you didn’t do.
You Know this Stuff!
• You already know the good advice.
• Your parents, friends, elders, etc… have
taught you this.
• You can look it up!
• You have already begun
making choices about
which ones you will
follow and which ones
you will ignore; nothing I can say in the
next 15 minutes will really change you
as a person.
My Own Brand of Wisdom
• Avoid moral platitudes and try to give
you practical advice.
• (That doesn’t mean the other stuff isn’t
good!)
• These are some of
the core principles
that I try to live by
and I hope that you
can see some of them
in the way I live my
life.
An Acronym!
• Ducks Swim Really
Fast When Sneaky
Beavers Attack!
In no particular order…
Ducks: Do the Next Thing
• When an opportunity
arises, take it!
• The key thing to ask
yourself: What's the
worst that can
happen?
• If the next thing
doesn’t come, make
your own future.
Swim: Surround Yourself with Good, Positive
People
• Don’t invest yourself in
people who don’t
support and encourage
you.
• Have people who you
trust and respect in
your life so that you
can seek their wisdom
when you need it.
• Make friends with your
family (eventually).
Really: Record your Life
• Memories fade…
• Take time to
reminisce and
reflect on how far
you’ve come.
• Remember pain.
• Remember joy.
• Do it whether it’s through writing
stories, music, poetry, photos,
journaling or some other means.
Fast: Find Yourself First
• It's important to be yourself, but it's
essential to find out who you are first.
• As much as possible don’t make
decisions based on what others will
think.
• Keep in mind that
who you are changes
over time.
• Know that figuring
out who you are is an
ongoing process.
When: Waste as Little Time as Possible
• Relationships: He’s/She’s
just not that into you.
• Life: It’s just not working.
• We are taught to try, and
it is difficult to know
when to give up.
• That’s why you need good
people in your life.
• Learn to be honest with
yourself.
Sneaky: Seek Balance
• Once you know yourself, find balance
by stretching yourself.
• If you tend to use your head, try using
your heart sometimes.
• If you tend to play
it safe, take risks.
• If you tend to stay
quiet, speak up.
• A balanced life is
a healthy life
(generally).
Beavers: Be an Effective Communicator
• No skill in life will serve you better,
whether it is at school, on the job or
with others.
• This is not always
easy for some
people.
• (I told you these
were in no order!)
Attack: Accept & Nurture Yourself
• We hear this all the time, but what does
it mean to accept and nurture yourself?
– Know your skills and accept your limits.
– Take care of your body and start young.
– Do things for yourself if you have a
tendency not to.
– Accept your inner nerd;
he/she is what makes
you who you are.
• Very few things will
direct your life more
than your own self-esteem.
One Cheesy Line…
• So that is the wisdom that I would
want to impart to you on this day.
• Like me, it will probably change in time.
• I hope someone at some point asks you
to reflect on what advice you would
give and what your own words of
wisdom would be.
• May the streams and
currents of life continue
to uncover the gold in
each of you.