You will not be a rock star. You will not be a professional sports player. You will not be the President of the United States. Most of you. But that's a good thing. It would be good for you to get that stupid idea out of your head. (Those of you who will be a rock star, ball player or President will ignore this anyway, so there's no danger of my dashing some dreams that don't need to be dashed.)
Your life will be successful not because of what you are, but because of who you are. Some good things to be are a loving parent and a faithful spouse.
Pay your bills before they're due.
If you have sex, you will have babies. (Protection is irrelevant. Sooner or later, you will have a baby. Somebody will forget, something will break, you'll pick a person who says it's "safe" but they lie. Babies will happen. That's the way it's supposed to work.)
Don't spend money you don't have, with two possible exceptions - a house and a car. The car would be better in cash- which means it will probably have to be a smaller, crummier car. So? As for the house, plan on being out of work for a year. Will you still be able to make the payments? No? Then look at a smaller house.
A job is better than no job. You can always look for a job, and get it, easier, if you have a job now.
"Find what you love and do that - you'll never go broke" - is bad advice. (See you'll never be a rock star above.) Some people are needed to clean messy diapers, help a smelly drunk to his feet, pick up the trash at 4 in the morning, clean the inside of the toilet, guard the dangerous, angry, vicious prisoner, and walk into danger for the sake of someone else. Few people dream of doing that, sacrificing themselves for someone else's sake, with the possibility of never being recognized or rewarded for their work. But somebody has to do it. And it's a good, a very good, thing to do.
Pray to God and row towards shore - you never know which will be the way out this time.
Laugh more.
Laugh at yourself more. No, seriously. :)
