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The Last Lecture

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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Last</strong> <strong>Lecture</strong><br />

38<br />

If at First You Don’t Succeed…<br />

…TRY, TRY a cliché.<br />

I love clichés. A lot of them, anyway. I have great respect for the<br />

old chestnuts. As I see it, the reason clichés are repeated so often is<br />

because they’re so often right on the money.<br />

Educators shouldn’t be afraid of clichés. You know why?<br />

Because kids don’t know most of them! <strong>The</strong>y’re a new audience, and<br />

they’re inspired by clichés. I’ve seen it again and again in my<br />

classroom.<br />

Dance with the one who brung you. That’s a cliché my parents<br />

always told me, and it applies far beyond prom night. It should be a<br />

mantra in the business world, in academia, and at home. It’s a<br />

reminder about loyalty and appreciation.<br />

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.<br />

That comes from Seneca, the Roman philosopher who was born in 5<br />

B.C. It’ll be worth repeating for another two thousand years, at least.<br />

Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right. That is from<br />

my cliché repertoire for incoming students.<br />

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? I’d say that to<br />

students as a reminder not to focus on little issues, while ignoring the<br />

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