Greetings graduates (or soon-to-be graduates if you are from Demopolis High). There are a lot of things you are going to hear over the coming weeks.

Nearly everyone from your mom to your neighbor to that weird guy who always seems to be walking around in the grocery store parking lot is going to want to give you advice.

So here’s your advice from me, take it all with a grain of salt.

Some of it will be good. Some of it will be great. And some of it will be downright funny. Either way, there are some things you have to figure out for yourself.

Whether it’s college or “the real world,” there will be frustrations and growing pains. You will back yourself into corners and you will feel entirely overwhelmed at times. Just keep your faith and don’t give up. See the road through even if you do not know where it ends.

Figure out as early as you can where you’re going. I don’t necessarily mean vocationally. Figure out who it is you want to be.

And then let that dictate your decisions in terms of what you study, who you associate with and what you choose to experience.

Know that there are times to challenge yourself and others to cut yourself some slack.

And beware that the day is coming where you will look at your life and begin to think that the older you get, the less you actually know about the world around you.

With that in mind, never take yourself too seriously.

Life is a lot more enjoyable when you let the molehills be molehills and you learn to reduce the mountains to something less intimidating.

Speaking of mountains, no one ever climbed one except by taking one step at a time.

So don’t try to take on too much at once, that will only lead you to those aforementioned corners.

More than anything, don’t ever believe anyone who tells you that these are the best days of your life. It is entirely up to you to make every day ahead of you the best day of your life.

After all, the only day we are guaranteed is the one we’ve already lived. So make the most of the ones that lie ahead. Congratulations.

Jeremy D. Smith is the sports editor of The Demopolis Times.