Life therapy in 5 minutes

As you may already know, I am not necessarily the airy-fairy type. I quickly find things to be a hassle and a bother and have a strong dislike for silly clichés that seem very deep at first glance but actually say nothing upon closer inspection. But sometimes you come across something that is just as airy-fairy as all that #quoteoftheday-bullshit on Instagram but still manages to touch you…

That is the case with ‘Everybody’s free to wear sunscreen’ by Baz Luhrmann. I had never heard of it, but the video has been viewed over 9 million times on YouTube (!), so I am once again one of the last to see it, but that shouldn't dampen the fun. The text comes from an essay that Mary Schmich wrote for The Chicago Tribune in 1997 and was set to music by Luhrmann. Luhrmann is a director known for, among other things, The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge, but with this musical venture, he scored a mega hit. But it was about the life lessons contained in this piece. You must definitely listen to it but for the lazy among us, here are the most beautiful sentences. If you memorize these and never forget them, it can hardly go wrong.

 Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. You will never understand the power and beauty of your youth until they fade.

 Don’t worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

 Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind, the race is long and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

 Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

 Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

 Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

 You’re not as fat as you imagine

Wear sunscreen