Advice To The Young

This talk is intended as encouragement for our young people. A world of possibility lies ahead but sometimes young people (and the not so young) can be beset by fear and feelings of inadequacy. These feelings can be overcome by thoughts of what a gift it is to be here and by hearing some advice as to how to you might make your way more comfortably in this wonderful world.

Transcript

Music Dear friends,

Welcome to this talk which is intended as words of encouragement for our young people.

I don't know the average age of subscribers to our Insight timer,

But those of us who are only young in heart will have contact with young people whether we are parents or aunts or uncles or mentors of some description.

These thoughts are inspired by looking yesterday at my grandson who is almost 12.

He is growing a little every day,

A little shy until you get to know him,

Ever curious and fascinated by all he sees in the world.

He is a real friend to his friends,

Fun loving,

Always ready to play a trick,

Always watching out for someone who might be struggling.

I thought with great happiness and hope of the red carpet lying ahead of him as he makes his way into adulthood.

I'm living here in Ireland as you'll know by the accent,

And I read today that across the sea in the UK almost one third of 13 to 19 year olds feel ashamed of their body shape,

Some to the point of thinking of taking their own lives.

A frightening thought and probably the same applies here or wherever you are.

By contrast I was looking last week at a YouTube video of the closing ceremony of the Dublin Special Olympics,

Where people with various handicaps found themselves celebrating and being celebrated in an atmosphere of exuberant joy.

What a difference and what a reason for hope.

It struck me that there is need for some encouraging words for the young,

Because young people can have doubts about themselves,

Their identity,

Whether they'll fit in,

The list goes on,

And as they set out on their brave world,

They can naturally have worries about the future.

So here are some thoughts.

You could call it a granddad's advice to the young.

First of all,

Let me say you are welcome here,

Each and every one of you.

Let us dedicate this reflection to any young people who may be feeling anxious about life.

And let this dedication send out a message loud and clear,

That you are not alone.

Remember first of all that you are a child of this universe,

A universe that has amazingly given rise to you after billions and billions of years of evolution.

That universe that has given us the gift of you is dancing in every cell of your body.

Never look in the mirror and think you should be different than you are.

If you were different,

You wouldn't be you.

Think of what a dull world it would be if we were all alike,

Just like peas in a pod.

Luckily,

Each of us is a once-off and never-to-be-repeated appearance on the stage of the world.

We can be big,

Small,

Bubbly or quiet,

Bright or average or even dull in some ways,

But each of us is like a different sized glass in a mixed set.

Some are bigger or of a different shape or composition than others,

But all can be filled to their own capacity,

And a full glass is a full glass,

Regardless of colour,

Size or shape.

And as you meet whatever obstacles or apparent obstacles life might present to you,

Remember above all that as a young person,

Life is rolling out ahead of you like a red carpet.

Run along it,

Bounce along it,

Sing and dance along it.

You will not realise how wonderful this is until some day in the future you look back on these days,

These golden days when you were young.

Try not to worry.

You will see that most of the things you will worry about will never come to pass.

Give yourself a little quiet time every day,

When you first of all do nothing,

But then make a plan as to how you will meet that day.

Having made a plan,

Be flexible,

Open to change even though you have a longer term target.

Do your best,

But don't burden yourself with perfectionism.

Your best is fine.

Remember that the search for perfection can be the enemy of much good.

Don't waste the present by regretting the past,

But learn from the past so that the errors of the past won't be repeated again and again.

Make reasonable plans for tomorrow,

But remember that life is lived in the day.

It's good to daydream,

But remember to wake up too.

Don't hold a grudge.

Be forgiving.

You will see that forgiveness benefits you even more than the person you forgive.

Offer encouragement to the people around you.

Think of the letters R U OK?

Ask how someone is.

Are you OK?

And be there for someone who is struggling.

We all need a hand and a hug every now and then.

Sometimes our flame goes out and it is rekindled by the flame offered by another.

Maybe by a friend,

Maybe by a stranger.

Accept the flame and when you get the chance,

Be the flame.

Whenever you feel anxious,

Speak to someone,

Anyone.

Share your thoughts,

Your worries.

There is nothing that they will not have heard before.

A problem shared is a problem halved.

Be grateful for what you have,

However little.

At the end of each day,

Call to mind something for which you are thankful.

Live within your means.

Spend a little less than you have,

However little you may have.

It's the difference between relative peace and utter frustration.

Don't reject philosophies or religions because of the failures of philosophers or religious people.

They can be very serious and irrationally sure of themselves.

It helps us keep things in perspective when we realise that we are all finite beings,

Engaged in the fascinating but impossible task of trying to make sense of the indefinable.

Join the search with an open mind.

God is a small word but by definition beyond words so don't give up on your search for ultimate meaning.

The search is what's important.

Be true to yourself and be true to your principles.

It's important that people stand up for something that they believe to be right.

But be tolerant of those who disagree with you.

When the stopped clock is right twice a day.

Don't burden yourself by telling lies,

Any lies at all.

If you always tell the truth,

You never have to remember a story.

Living a life of truth allows time for lots of other,

More useful activities than remembering made up stories.

Each time you look in the mirror you will notice that you have two ears but only one mouth.

Use them in the same proportion.

Listen more.

Speak less.

And before you speak,

Ask yourself,

Is it true?

Is it necessary?

Is it kind?

Be patient with older people.

Barring accident or illness you'll be lucky enough to be as old as we are one of these days and soon enough as you will see.

And when you get here I hope you will still find yourself bouncing along that red carpet.

You have been blessed with this life.

We have been blessed by your presence.

Enjoy the journey.

Don't get carried away with success.

When you reach the summit remember this too will pass.

It helps you curb any tendency to pride.

And the great thing is that when facing any difficulty you can also recall those same words this too will pass.

An amazing consolation in time of trouble.

Never forget this too will pass.

May your life be blessed with much happiness.

Namaste.

Reviews

this was great :) as a teen, i found your advice thought invoking and definitely something i will try to practice in my daily life. thank you for your energy <3

What beautiful and encouraging words for the young, much appreciated by this ‘young in heart’ 🤓🙏🏻

Thank you so much 😊💞 As a teen , I highly appreciate and value your insights and thought - provoking advice 🙏🙏May God always have grace upon you!!

My 11 year old son liked it - we listened together

These are such beautiful words at just the right moment! Thank you! 🙏🏼

Wonderful talk. I love hearing your perspective on life. Thank you Tony 🔆🙏🌷

Great advice 🙏🏻

Grateful for you & your calming words of wisdom, they always seem to find me at the right time. ✨

I love your meditations and I love your heart. What a lucky grandson to have you as his grandfather. Thank you Tony for another cracker 😊 🙏🏻

Tony, Thank you for sharing Great Wisdom with Young and Young-at-Heart in your always Kind and Gentle way❣️
I will be sharing your important message with my Grand Children of ages 10, 12, and 13 years old. 😊 It takes a village! 🙏🏻💕

Excellent insight. Thank you 🙏🏼

Outstanding advice for anyone! We all mento remember this wisdom. Thank you!

What a lovely talk for our young ones Tony. I have a 9 year old grandson and one 9 month granddaughter, and I often wonder about the planet we are leaving them. It’s hard enough getting by in the world, and they have to wonder if they’ll even have one when they grow old. It can be very sad and depressing. Then there’s my 32 yr old daughter who had no children but has dedicated her life to helping others to clean up and leave this planet safe and clean for her niece and nephew. So there’s my hope that far outweighs the sadness.
Beautiful thoughts for us all in this talk.
Thank you so much for these pearls of wisdom Tony.
Namaste 🙏🏼
🦋🌷🐾🙏🏼💕🙏🏽🌸💐💐🌲🍃🌴🌱🌎🌍🌏

Absolutely fantastic! This talk is perfect for all of us especially in today’s environment.
I really appreciate your thoughts my friend. I will definitely send this to my grandchildren
Thank you 🙏

Thank you Tony for these wonderful insights for the young (and the old!). If every young person could listen and imprint these suggestions on their hearts, the world would be an even more beautiful place. Feeling very grateful! Namaste.

Tony, such wise and wonderful words. Perfect reflection for all ages. Go raibh maith agat. Namaste 🙏

Thank you for this amazing gift Tony. I'm 49 years of age and I found this extremely helpful and soothing.

Tony, this is Advice for the Young, but it is equally applicable to us old people! Try not to worry. Have a quiet time every day. Do your best . Learn from the past. Don't hold a grudge. Be grateful for what you have. God is a small word, but is beyond words. And many many more wonderful admonitions. One of your best, Tony. But aren't they all!

Such lovingly crafted and well thought out inspirational and full of wisdom. Thank you for sharing bless you.