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Everyone Needs To Watch This Video... Now

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Everyone Needs To Watch This Video... Now

A few months back, I was having a conversation with a close friend of mine. I was expressing my worries I had concerning my future and what the world holds in store for me. I explained how being in an economy where the need for more educated workers is high, but the resources to hire them are low, left me unsure of what path to go down. We live in a culture where the possibilities are endless, but that doesn't necessarily translate into success for everyone.

Although I cannot be positive that other individuals share my exact feelings, I am pretty confident that other humans share my worry about what the future holds. How will the world be? Will it be a safe place for my children? Will I be able to be independent, have a job or even find a significant other to share my time and experiences with? What will world politics and geography look like?

The questions go on forever, but the answers are few and far between. What I was explaining to my close friend was a pessimistic view of my future.

The video she encouraged me to watch changed my life. You can watch it below.

The YouTube video is a music video for a fake commencement speech written by Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune. The columnist wrote a speech for the Tribune in 1997, in which she outlined the great story of life. In 1999, Baz Luhrmann, an Australian film director, took the speech and made it into this spoken word song and video. It has close to 10 million views and thousands of comments. If you wish to read her original column, here is the link: Advice, Like Youth, Probably Just Wasted on the Young.

As you can tell, what Ms. Schmich details in her hypothetical commencement speech is incredible. Whether you agree with one thing she said, everything she said or nothing she said, it definitely puts our life troubles into perspective.

My favorite line is, "Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded." When we are younger, we always want to be perceived as being older, but why is it that when we are older, we always want to be perceived as being younger? At what age is the perfect age, where one does not want to be perceived as older or younger? This makes no sense, and it is something that has baffled me for years now.

This is the line that I think my friend wanted me to listen closest to: "Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum." There are some things we simply have little or no control over. The future is one of them. I have watched this video plenty of times now, and it always does the job of bringing me back down to earth.

Whenever you're trying to figure something out, worrying about who you are, or are in some sort of petty argument, watch this video. It will not fail you.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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