I've always believed that life is simple; it's the living that gets complicated. John Wayne said, "Life is tough, it's tougher if you're stupid!"

Sure, it is possible that I could win the lottery today, but it's awfully unlikely. Sure, it is possible that I won't get laid off when everybody else is, but it's probably not realistic.

Remember, most catastrophes result from lousy decision making and high risk behavior. Example, "I'm going to steal this money from work to pay this bill and then I'll pay it back on pay day" - but you won't. "I know this is wrong, but it will be just this once" - but it isn't. "No one will know what I do" - but they do! "You can't get pregnant the first time" - wrong. "Baby, I love you" - not! "You can trust me" - don't.

The fact is that short cuts take longer, quick fixes don't last, success is never certain, failure is never final and good bye doesn't mean forever.

It always amazes me how quickly one person can screw their life up and how long it takes to unscrew it, simply because they failed to recognize the validity of one or more of the above quotes. Then they cry and ask, "Why me?"

We were each given free will by our Maker; that means we have permission to mess up as bad as we want or to succeed as much as we can. It's OUR choice, not the universes.

Pick your friends carefully and wisely and remember this quote, "Live never to be ashamed if anything you do or say is published around the world - even if what is published is not true."

It is okay to set high goals and lofty ambitions. Just remember, "You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however."

Success is never certain and failure is never final, unless you make it final. Every failure is a learning experience; you just found one more thing that didn't work. I believe that success is not a goal as much as it is a journey.

Sometimes your success comes in an arena you would have never have dreamed of. Be open and remember, "The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly."

Friends usually come and go. Say you're in middle school or high school right now, guess what? People you know right now, your BFF's - ten years from now you probably won't be friends. That hunk that sits across the room - his hair will stop growing, but his belly won't. That little hottie over there - she'll give you a sexually transmitted disease.

If you're older remember this, "if the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it is because there's more fertilize there."

If you are older still, guess what? You ain't as young as you once were. What I mean is don't fight getting older - embrace it. Hank Aaron once said, "When you reach forty you can't do anything every day." Getting older sucks, but it sure beats the alternative, doesn't it?

If you are older still, here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: "If you're alive, it isn't."

It always amazes me that when I shut my eyes, the person I feel I am inside is eighteen years old - trapped in a sixty plus year old body. What happened? I grew up, that's what happened. Each scar, each wrinkle tells a story, each bruise describes a journey.

If you're still alive, you're living! That means you have a chance to fix things, to make it better. Don't do the same thing again and again and again and again and expect it to come out differently. Change ain't change if nothing changes!

And most importantly - share your positive experiences, your wisdoms. Most importantly, share your failures with those that will listen. Maybe you can make a difference in their life. One thing is certain; it will make a difference in yours.

Let me leave you with this important thought - "You teach best what you most need to learn."