What advice I can share, is simply the result of my own
meandering experience through life. You can take it as seriously, or as lightly
as you want to. I shall share that advice now.
Always appreciate what you have, no matter how little it may
seem to you. In 20 years, you may well look back at photos of yourself, and
recall in a way that is incomprehensible to you know just how much possibility
lay before you at the time, and just how fabulous you really look.
Get to know your parent’s well, you never know when they
might be gone for good. I know I didn’t. Be kind to your brothers and sister,
they’re the ones most likely to stick by you in the future and they’re the best
link you have to your past.
Know that friends will always come and go through life, save
those precious few that you should hold on to, just like they will hold onto
you.
Don’t worry about the future, because the real problems in
your life won’t be anything that ever crossed your worried mind, instead they
will be the kind of things that come out of nowhere on some quiet Thursday.
Live life to the fullest that you can, do one thing every
day that scares you a little. Don’t be careless with the hearts of those that
love you, and never put up with anyone that is careless with yours.
Your body is the most incredible instrument you will ever
own, use it every way that you can, enjoy it, don’t be afraid of it or what
other people might think of it. Dance, even if you can only do it in your own
living room.
Maybe you’ll marry the love of your life, maybe you won’t.
Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll live to dance at your
75th wedding anniversary, maybe you’ll divorce at 30. Whatever you
do end up doing in life, don’t berate yourself too much, but don’t congratulate
yourself too much either. Every choice you make in life is half-chance, just
like everybody else’s.
Accept certain undeniable truths of life. The prices will
rise, politicians will always philander, and you too will grow old. And when
you do, you will fantasize back to when you were younger and tell stories of a
time where prices are reasonable, politicians were honest and children always
respected their elders. On that note, respect your elders.
Don’t waste time being jealous, some people are ahead of
you, and some people are behind. Life is a long race, and in the end, you’re
only running against yourself. Remember all the compliments that people pay
you, and forget all the insults. If you successfully do that, let me know how.
If you don’t know what you want to do with your life when
you’re leaving school, don’t feel guilty. Some of the most interesting people
are those who don’t know what they want to do in life.
Try your hardest to bridge the gaps that you meet in
geography and culture, especially in the world we live in now. The older you
get, the more you will need the people that you knew when you were young. Live
in the city, but leave before it makes you too hard. Live on the beach, but
leave before it makes you too soft.
[Courtesy of my dear friend James]
[Courtesy of my dear friend James]
