i get asked all the time if i could go
back and talk to the younger me
what would i say and if i was going to
go back and talk to the younger me
really it would be like me talking to
many of all the younger
it'd be like me talking to my younger
son
[Music]
and the number one thing that i would
say is don't let anybody tell you what
you can't
you won't or you shouldn't do everybody
will try to put a limit on you
but what i've learned is that nobody can
stop you but you
and that you are going to have to break
your own limit
i would encourage you not to minimalize
the importance of your creativity
your ability to imagine to dream big the
human mind
this thing called your imagination it's
where
so many dreams and goals and
unbelievable things have been achieved
if i could sit down i would i would
encourage you over and over
again to to find ways to spark your
imagination to create to be a visionary
so you were born to lead your
fingerprints on history
these fingerprints these ten fingers
they're unique to me they're unique to
you
there's only one of a kind there's only
one of you there's only one me
and you can do anything that you want
and you can actually get to a place if
you
use your imagination and your creativity
and not allow anybody to limit you
and not limit yourself you can leave
these fingerprints on history
[Music]
and just as much as i would talk about
the importance of creativity you best
believe that i would emphasize
education education to become educated
educated and become an expert
education man will be one of the most
powerful tools that we have
our ability to learn
our ability to sit down and to grow
intellectually
to learn more about how the world
operates because knowledge
is power
because truthfully the world's lazy
everybody talks about what they want to
do everybody talks what they want to
achieve
everybody posts but nobody wants to roll
up their sleeves and just go
we've gotten lazy and complacent
and so i need you just to understand
that you need to apply yourself to take
the time to be
intentional to grow to learn to be
uncomfortable in the areas that you
don't necessarily know
don't be afraid to ask for help
because at the end of the day i promise
you this son that no matter what
everybody else is talking about no
matter what everybody else is thinking
that they're wanna gonna do
a lot of people sit on the sideline and
don't apply because they're afraid of
failing
so i would challenge you to understand
the importance of education
[Music]
and don't let anybody ever tell you
anything different
you see because i know too well life for
many of us
man there's challenges we have faced
adversity and circumstances
and storms that we didn't ask for
sometimes it's like we're just a
freshman and a sophomore
and we're trying to grow up in life and
figure out first off who am i and what
do i want to do with my life and
and what's my future hold and we have
all this all the pressure of just kind
of
growing up in the culture and trying to
fit and find our space
and then we we have things that happen
to us that we didn't ask for
like serious challenging issues of maybe
abuse
mental physical emotional maybe deaths
in our family
like we as young people we didn't ask
for some adversity we didn't ask for
some challenges
and it's almost like somebody puts this
plate of food right in front of you
right and they're like
this is life this is your plate of food
this is all that you get in life
now deal with it
and you're like i don't like that i
don't want it
but this is all that you have to deal
with because it's the real situation
that you're having to figure out does
anybody understand what i'm talking
about raise your hand
yeah i mean lots of us i would emphasize
the importance of resiliency
the mentality that giving up never is
and never will be an
option there will be all kinds of
challenges and storms in life that we
have to face
things you didn't sign up for things you
didn't ask for
but life is life and what i do know is
that long as you continue to put one
foot
forward that you will make it it won't
always be easy
there will be outside pressures inside
pressures pressures all around
but the storms of life don't define us
it's how we navigate those storms
we have to continue to develop the tools
and we have to
continue to be able to develop the
ability
when adversity and when challenges and
objects and obstacles get in our way
that's called life
we've got to be able to understand how
to mature in a way
that we don't overreact that we don't
act impulsive that we don't
we don't make decisions that will
forever impact our future
we don't make decisions that will
forever set us back and and put us back
years behind because we were impulsive
or we were erratical or irrational or we
didn't understand how to properly
process the emotion like we need to as
young people make sure
that as we're facing adversity and
challenges that we understand that it's
okay
to not be okay that it's okay that we're
going through some things
and that the truth is we're not alone
because life not only for students but
for adults for people will always be
full of
challenges but the goal is though is for
us
like my dad when he used to smack the
basketball off my face
listen i have to identify the problem
and then i have to figure out how to get
around the problem
i'm not going to get consumed or all i
focus and i'm always just tore up on the
problem because all of my focus is on
the problem the problem the problem
i'm not focusing on the solution the
solution the solution
i always talk about how pressure busts
pipes but the truth is pressure also
creates diamonds
the pressure is always going to be there
there will always be external pressures
there'll always be internal pressures
but it's how we learn to navigate those
pressures
it's just like me saying that there's
always storms of life but the storms of
life don't dictate who we are but it's
how we navigate those storms
and those internal pressures aren't
meant for you to carry alone
and our ability to speak up and to speak
out that's going to be the best way for
us to navigate
these pressures when we isolate that's
when the pressure combusts pipes
but when we learn that our voice our
voice is the fire that can carve and cut
and create the most beautiful diamond
pressure bust pipes but pressure also
creates diamonds
and i would make sure that you would
understand those words resiliency
and i'll make sure that you understand
that no matter what life brings you
giving up is not an option if i could go
back and talk to my younger me
this is what i would tell him
[Music]
creativity dream big fail hard fell
often it's okay
education is so important be educated
focus on those things that you want to
achieve and apply yourself
the world's lazy but then i would also
make sure that you understood
resiliency giving up is not an option
if i could talk to my younger me i would
let him know that he's loved
and that he's not alone and it won't
always be easy
but when it's all said and done don't
give up
the world's your masterpiece paint your
picture
[Music]
you