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.
