I was asked to offer some “words of wisdom” to a group of fifth graders at a Los Angeles-area elementary school, which I was delighted to do. Here is what I offered them, saying that these seven ideas are what I would share with my own kids, if I had any. 

1. Live your own life. Be authentic. Trust yourself and your creative desires and pursuits. It would be a shame to get to the end of your life only to discover in the last moment that you did not live your life, but the life that someone else wanted you to live. It takes a lot of strength and courage to live your own life, because so many people want you to live their idea of what your life should be. But they are not you, and their values and goals and dreams are theirs, not yours. Only you are you, so find out who you are and how you want to live and what you want to do. Take as much time as you need to do this. Don’t be afraid of changing your mind or of making mistakes, because these are part of the journey of living your own life. Explore different paths, keep learning and growing, and don’t be afraid of wandering off into the unknown, because that wilderness is where great people are born. (more…)