Bill Gates gave a presentation to graduates of Northern Arizona University and asked them to find “a balance between work and life.”
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates spoke to hundreds of young people and reflected on life between work and family and friends.
Bill Gates said he didn’t realize until he got older and became a father that “there’s more to life than work.”
Gates’s words
In the middle of a speech to Northern Arizona University graduates, Gates noted that “when I was your age, I didn’t believe in vacations.
“I didn’t believe in weekends. I pushed everyone around me to work long hours,” he recalls.
The millionaire and now philanthropist told them that “you are not lazy if you give yourself a little slack.”
“Don’t wait as long as I did to learn this lesson,” Gates said. “Take time to nurture your relationships, celebrate your successes and recover from your losses. Take a break when you need it. Take it easy with the people around you when they need it too,” he added.
keep learning
In Gates’ graduation speech, which he shared on his blog , the billionaire also advised students to take time to reevaluate their decisions throughout their lives and to be willing to continue learning even outside of the classroom.
“You’re probably feeling a lot of pressure right now to make the right decisions about your career,” he said. “It may seem like those decisions are permanent. They’re not. What you do tomorrow, or for the next ten years, doesn’t have to be what you’ll do forever.”
In addition, he asked young people to trust their friends to work on important problems: “Every day new industries and companies emerge that will allow you to make a living making a difference. And advances in science and technology have made it easier than ever have a big impact.”