Back in 2022, I wrote a book titled College with No Regrets. I wrote it to share words of wisdom with high school graduates bound for college that I wished someone had shared with me. The last chapter in the book is titled “A Final Challenge.” In this last chapter I describe a powerful scene from the movie, Dead Poets Society.

It’s the first day of class at Welton Academy, a presti­gious prep school for young men. Welton is steeped in history and tradition. Mr. Keating, a new English teacher (played by Robin Williams), calls the class to order. Unex­pectedly, he takes the class out into the hall to look at some old black-and-white photos enclosed in trophy cases lin­ing the walls. In the photos are young men who attended Welton more than half a century earlier. Mr. Keating says to his students:

We are food for worms. Believe it or not, each and every one of us in this room is one day going to stop breath­ing, turn cold, and die. I would like you to peruse some of the faces from the past. You’ve walked by them many times, but I don’t think you’ve really looked at them.

They’re not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they are destined for great things, just like many of you. Their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable of? Because you see, gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. If you listen real close you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Do you hear it?

As the boys curiously lean in toward the glass case, Pro­fessor Keating whispers in their ears, “Car-pe, car-pe, carpe diem. Seize the day, boys! Make your lives extraordinary!”

Then, he leaves them with these powerful words: “Since your destiny is yet to be determined, why not make it ex­traordinary and leave a lasting legacy?”

Mr. Keating recognizes a classic human flaw: We are, by nature, short-term in our thinking. So he presents these young men with a powerful challenge: What do you want your life to have been about when you get to the end of it? He tries to give them a longer-term perspective, so they’ll make the most of the time they have.

So whether you are a recent high school or college graduate, a middle-aged person, or anyone at a crossroads, I leave you with the same challenge Mr. Keating gave his students:

“Since your destiny is yet to be determined, why not make it extraordinary and leave a lasting legacy?”

College with No Regrets is available on Amazon and our website. Richard E Simmons III is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Executive Leadership and a best-selling author.