enJOY it

This is old. But I heard it on MR’s blog this morning. So good.

So true to the day to day.

                       "Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97
                       If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
                       it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
                       scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
                       than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.
                       Enjoy the power and beauty
of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
                       understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
                       But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
                               recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay
                               before you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat
                       as you imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that
                       worrying
is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by
                       chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things
                       that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
                       on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you.
                       Sing. Don’t
be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
                       people
who are reckless with yours. Floss.
                               Don’t waste your time on jealousy;
sometimes you’re ahead,
                               sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end,                        
                               it’s only with yourself.
                       Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if
you
                       succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love
letters,
                       throw away your old bank statements. Stretch.
                               Don’t feel guilty
if you don’t know what you want to do with your
                               life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
                       wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
                       olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees,

                       you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry,
                       maybe you
won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
                       you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
                       chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
                       congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
                       choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
                               use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other
                               people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
                       Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living
room.
                       Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
                       Do NOT read
beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
                       Get to know your
parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
                       good. Be nice to
your siblings; they are the best link to your past and
                       the people
most likely to stick with you in the future.
                       Understand that friends
come and go, but for the precious few you
                       should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
                               lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people
                               you knew when you were young. Live in New York City once,
                       but leave before
it makes you hard; live in Northern California once,
                       but leave
before it makes you soft. Travel.
                       Accept certain inalienable truths,
prices will rise, politicians will
                       philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
                       that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
                       noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders.
                       Don’t
expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
                       maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
                       might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time
you’re
                       40, it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but,
be patient with
                       those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way
                       of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
                       ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.                     
                       But trust me on the sunscreen…"

…Baz Luhrmann