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…