Some advice for young people in 140 characters

Don't collect as much stuff as your parents did. Test: Is it useful? Essential? Beautiful? Well-made? Does it tell a story about your life?

Know where your food comes from. Learn how to cook five basic meals with fresh ingredients. Bake bread. Make jam. Bountiful life with less.

Think before you drive. Combine errands. Share trips. Bike. Walk. Recycle. Buy less packaging. Conservation happens when everyone chips in.

Drink water. Lots of it. Use moisturizer. Take vitamins. Talk to each other. Read books. Follow daily news. Know what's going on. And care.

Technology. Embrace it. And the pace of change. Connecting. Communicating. But don't diminish its role. Use it to energize a better world. 

Breathe in cool autumn breezes. Feel the bite of icy winter winds. Watch the emerging greens of spring. Drift to the shady side in summer.

Relationships. Marriage. Start blissfully. We evolve. Circumstances change. Go into it with joy, but also open minds, eyes, hearts. To last.

Eat, sleep, work. Daily routines. Lots of life is showing up. But don't forget the who, what, where, when, why. The purpose. The passion.

Integrity. Look everyone in the eye. Say what you mean. Do what you say. Come early. Stay late. Follow through. Step up when others won't.

But time away is important. Reflect. Renew. Remember what life is all about. Find your center. Dreams to fulfill. Being with those you love.

Actions speak louder than words. If your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like nails. You gotta break some eggs to make an omelette.

Save for a rainy day. Measure twice, cut once. Necessity, the mother of invention. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You reap what you sow.  

A firm handshake, a genuine smile, holding the door for others, letting someone else go first. All are worth more than simple expressions.

Authenticity. A consequential word. It means you can be counted on. You're trustworthy. Honest. You stand up for what's right. You're real.

Swimming upstream is sometimes the only way to get where you want to go or need to go, but other times you have to go along with the flow.

There's an artist, thinker, innovator in everyone. Those parts of your mind let you challenge conventional wisdom and blaze your own trail.

When the shit (sorry) hits the fan, buck up, suck up, fess up. Especially when it's your fault. It's life. Humbles your ego. Strengthens your spine.

It's always good to apologize. To listen more than you speak. To say I love you. Often. To watch the sun rise. And set. Embracing every day.

Sometimes you must walk away from a love or a friend. Hurts just too big to endure. But try forgiveness. Even silently. Freedom is healing.

Don't believe in forgive and forget. Yes, forgive. But learn from all experiences. Good and bad. They help weave the fabric of your soul.

A time will come when you must stand your ground. Know the facts. Be ready to debate. But listen. Most issues aren't pure black and white.

Hold onto youth's optimism as cynicism creeps in. Know your core but accept change. OK to be a wise ass, but try to grow into a wise soul.

The world is big in size, but small in its humanity. Conflict and fear. Shared traits. So are cooperation and trust. Strive for the latter.

Hard physical work is what it sounds like. Hard. Grueling. But it shapes you. Strengthens you. Stretches your limits. Shows you can endure.

Don't just donate money. Volunteer. Assist and empower those who have less than you. Poverty can't be reduced if we pretend it isn't there.

Like it or not, we're a nation of laws. They affect much of society. Read the words in the Constitution. Know them. Think deeply about them.

Be informed. Vote. Every election. Sometimes it will be the lesser of two evils. But a few will be able to rock our world. For the better.

Accept that lots of things can't be explained or understood. People can just be weird. And the mysteries, contradictions abound. Let it go.

Don't underestimate your capacity to think new thoughts, learn new things, find new paths, see new ways, make new friends, touch new hearts.

Be gentle to yourself, your family, your friends. Life is delicious, but it's hard. We're complicated. A strong community will sustain you.

Define your dreams. Live your own life. Don't let others say you can't do it. It's never too far and never too late. Be useful to the world.

Many chances to get it right. To fail and try again. To win. To make a difference. Make your mark. So, show us up. Show us what you've got.