To the Class of 2009...

I was going through my hundreds of old-school cds this morning and I found a song from back in 1999. It's called, "Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen)". I love it now as much as I loved it then and it inspired me to write my own list of advice. I never believed that my life would take shape the way that it has over the last 10 years. This song, back in the day, produced so much emotion in me because I FELT and sympathized the lessons learned, but today I feel the emotion because I've LIVED the lessons learned. My version is by no means as effective as the original, but I believe that everyone should take an hour to write their own speech, just as I have today. It was a challenge to be original, but here is my own speech to the class of 2009...

To the class of 2009, these are my truths:

You're not who you think you are. Days will pass, years will expire, and before you know it, you will no longer recognize yourself in the mirror. Embrace it... because change happens for a reason. If we were meant to be who we were at 19, then what would be the point of living another 60 years?

Have your heart broken at least once... only then can you truly appreciate how much it means to be loved.

Do not poison yourself with regret... because at one time, the decisions you made were everything you ever wanted.

Throw away the scale...

Surround yourself by positive people... negative nelly's will eventually pull you down and either destroy your heart and will, or cause you to self-depricate.

Write in a journal... your kids will thank you someday. And don't hold back. Your thoughts may be exactly what your daughter needs to hear twenty years from now.

Live your life by the Golden Rule...

Love without stipulation... otherwise, you're bound for disappointment.

Take a break... it will be okay... the world doesn't stop just because you do... if that makes you sad, then it is most probably time for you to sit out a round or two and figure out why?

Forgive yourself... we all have our moments... that's why they are considered "moments" in the grander scale of life. It's NEVER to late to have a change in heart... NEVER!

Being broken doesn't mean you're useless...

Live your life with conviction, yet don't be dismissive of other people's right to their own conviction... what is true for you may not be true for others... only God or one's higher power has the right to give ultimate judgement in the end... you're just not that powerful!

Dress up when you feel like hiding in your closet forever... it just might help you feel better if even for a moment.

Everyday, tell yourself you're wonderful even if you don't believe it... the power of suggestion can be a life-changing medium as long as we WANT to believe.

These are my truths over the last 10-plus years since graduating high school. To be continued 2019...