To Ube From Cup A Joe, Volume VI

Listen. Always take the chance. Try not to second guess. Find an outlet for creativity. Learn how to conversate. Don't just wait until the other person stops talking; actively listen. Don't drink and drive. But drink. And become a good driver. Don't ever say "I wish" -- do it or forget it. Be fair to whoever you're with. Don't cheat; you'll never improve. Try to be amicable -- but remember that everything ends badly, or else it wouldn't end. Forgive, but don't forget. Sometimes it is OK to be bitter. Do something just for you every once in a while. Don't expect or chase credit; it only comes when you're not looking for it. Work hard. Inspiration comes in the unlikeliest of places and when you're not expecting it -- don't let it pass. Take advantage of it. Learn to spell well. Be thankful. Nothing takes you further than a handwritten note. Make yourself essential. Make eye contact. Be the person that you'd be drawn to. Don't give third chances. Remember that people don't ever really change—always remember this. You are going to like -- or even love -- more than one person at a time. There is nothing wrong with that that can't be solved with a decision. Be tender; be true. Always remember who you are -- even if you're not really sure -- because the only thing you have in this world is your name. Protect it with your life. Don't make excuses; come up with solutions. Usually it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Don't do anything halfway. Find at least one thing that you are truly passionate about. Try to find the instrument inside you. Music truly makes the world go 'round. Be artistic. Cultivate a sense or humor -- there are few things more important and few possessions more prized. Be political. Have an opinion. Take a stand. Vote. Develop a positive self-image. Don't measure yourself with anyone else's scale but your own. Disagree with your parents. But cherish them. Listen to a child's laugh sometimes. Look at things through a child's eyes sometimes. Sit outside whenever you can. Lose yourself in books as often as you can. Read. Not online, but something you can have and hold. Especially the classics. They are the foundation of our culture. Be bold. Laugh at yourself as often as at others. Accept constructive criticism. But defend yourself against criticism. Think whether this will be important in five years. Think in context. Find heroes. Believe in the unbelievable. Be a cynic. But never lose hope. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Be the one who reaches out. Fiercely protect your friends. One day you will wake up and realize that they are actually your family. Choose them wisely. Remember that who you're with is who you are. Do something you're not supposed to. But don't do it twice. Challenge yourself -- no one else might. You are never going to get anything you don't ask for. "No" isn't ever as bad as you think it will be. Laugh a lot. You can wonder, but limit that. If it becomes "if only," take action. You can change the world in you. Be a hero to one other person. Cry a lot. Pick something to really throw yourself into. Pick one thing every year that you'd like to learn about. Question the world. Raise your hand. Show your heart. Have a dog. They are the only thing in our world that loves you more than it loves itself. You can learn things you never knew existed simply by looking in their eyes. You can change yourself. Never give up. Be your own biggest fan. Ask for help. More people love you than you know. Love yourself first. Be able to turn it off. Be able to walk away. Be able to laugh it off. Be a person who talks to at least one other person they don't know at every party. Have a great toast memorized. Take relationships seriously. If you decide to be in one, be in one. If you think you like someone else, you're not in the relationship you think you're in anymore. Communicate. It's OK to move on. Your heart will be broken. You will break a heart. It's one more thing that isn't as important as it seems, except to show you you're alive. Be impulsive. Travel. Immerse. Stand in awe sometimes. Find a way to be spiritual. But not for anyone else -- for you. Spend time in quiet thought every day. Turn off the TV sometimes. Don't waste time very much -- maybe a little. Take a nap every now and again. Be open-minded. Don't let one person represent a culture. Learn about the world. Educate yourself. Be a skeptic. There's a reason the word "healthy" usually comes in front of "skepticism." Form your own opinions. Create your own conclusions. Go against the flow. Swim against the tide. Walk apart from the herd; be your own herd. Don't let others determine what you believe.