Hey, you!
Yes, you. We've had this conversation before, so consider yourself a regular customer here.
You haven't been taking a chance. You've copped out. You haven't been taking risks, be it in your professional or personal life. Gosh, you're half dead!
Dude, don't let life pass you by. I know this is abstract and vague. OK, let me try to put it this way: Challenge yourself. Do something that scares you. I think that was a line in a Baz Luhrmann song back in '99 (the song had the word sunscreen, it was a spoken word song).
Keep Pushing yourself. Keep challenging yourself. And for heaven's sake, do what you want. Follow your heart. Gosh, I'm spitting all the cliches in the world here. But hey, this is my blog and I can darn well write whatever I want, without conforming to any housestyle.
An old friend of mine called up about an hour ago. She just wanted to say hi. It was nice talking to her. We used to hang out a lot when I was in KL. It's nice that we talked about the Essentials.
I told her how much I cherished the times we used to lepak together. She was telling me how I should do what I want quickly because life is short. And she told me to cherish my family.
I got to thinking recently about how I've lived my life. It's been quite cushioned. I rarely take chances. I try to prevent making mistakes. It's always about being safe. Of course I should always be cautious, but only where it matters.
Ok, I gotta go. Meeting someone tonight. Ciao
Here's that Baz Luhrman song, by the way. It was hot seven years ago. One of the few spoken word hits in music history.
********************
Lyrics : Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97
Wear sunscreen
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.
(Brother and sister together we'll make it through
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there I know you've been hurting,
and I know I've been waiting to be there for you.
And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
Everybody's free.)
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
(Brother and sister together we'll make it through
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there I know you've been hurting,
and I know I've been waiting to be there for you.
And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
Everybody's free.)
Yes, you. We've had this conversation before, so consider yourself a regular customer here.
You haven't been taking a chance. You've copped out. You haven't been taking risks, be it in your professional or personal life. Gosh, you're half dead!
Dude, don't let life pass you by. I know this is abstract and vague. OK, let me try to put it this way: Challenge yourself. Do something that scares you. I think that was a line in a Baz Luhrmann song back in '99 (the song had the word sunscreen, it was a spoken word song).
Keep Pushing yourself. Keep challenging yourself. And for heaven's sake, do what you want. Follow your heart. Gosh, I'm spitting all the cliches in the world here. But hey, this is my blog and I can darn well write whatever I want, without conforming to any housestyle.
An old friend of mine called up about an hour ago. She just wanted to say hi. It was nice talking to her. We used to hang out a lot when I was in KL. It's nice that we talked about the Essentials.
I told her how much I cherished the times we used to lepak together. She was telling me how I should do what I want quickly because life is short. And she told me to cherish my family.
I got to thinking recently about how I've lived my life. It's been quite cushioned. I rarely take chances. I try to prevent making mistakes. It's always about being safe. Of course I should always be cautious, but only where it matters.
Ok, I gotta go. Meeting someone tonight. Ciao
Here's that Baz Luhrman song, by the way. It was hot seven years ago. One of the few spoken word hits in music history.
********************
Lyrics : Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97
Wear sunscreen
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.
(Brother and sister together we'll make it through
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there I know you've been hurting,
and I know I've been waiting to be there for you.
And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
Everybody's free.)
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
(Brother and sister together we'll make it through
Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there I know you've been hurting,
and I know I've been waiting to be there for you.
And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
Everybody's free.)
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