Earnestness is highly underestimated. It comes from the core, while hip is trying to impress you on the surface.

Never lose the childlike wonder. Show gratitude... Don't complain; just work harder... Never give up.

I'm a professor - there should be some lessons learned - and how you can use the stuff you hear today to enable your dreams or enable the dreams of others. And as you get older you may find that enabling-the-dreams-of-others thing is even more fun.

I don't believe in the no-win scenario

Read at least one book a month. This is self-serving, obviously. It's a proven fact that people who read buy more books than people who don't read. In truth, I wish you'd read ten books a month, or at least buy that many.

One thing that makes it possible to be an optimist is if you have a contingency plan for when all hell breaks loose.

Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun.