After reflecting on Baz Luhrmann’s recent film, The Great Gatsby, my indecisive reviews led me to digress and remember to always wear sunscreen. In case the reference didn’t ring a bell, my Baz Luhrmann themed night took me back to his instructive single “Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen” released in 1999. The voice of wisdom telling us nineties kids about skincare, always finds a way back into my head. Derived from an article written by Mary Schmich, titled “Advice, Like Youth, Probably Just Wasted on the Young,” the single provided a lot of insight we can all benefit from revisiting. Besides wearing sunscreen, which I highly recommend, I hand picked five pieces of advice from “Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen” that I feel we can all keep in mind:

1. “Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth”

Amen. I think we can all try a little bit harder to enjoy the power and beauty that lies within us right now. Although progress is always applauded, self -loathing should be a thing of the past. Everything is much more productive when you love how you look and who you are, just as you are right now. I definitely need to remind myself of this very frequently.

2. “Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.”

Oh, my…as a worrywart, I know how ineffective it can be. My lifelong goal is to worry less about the future, and be present in the moment. This is definitely something we can all keep as a reminder everyday. Worrying does nothing but give you wrinkles, and make you spend more time in your head than anywhere else. Let’s try to let go, plan carefully, but not waste our days in a whirlwind of worry.

{photo by Melody Melikian}

3. “Floss.”

I couldn’t remind you to wear sunscreen, without mentioning the importance of flossing.

4. “Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.”

Is there anything more toxic than jealousy? I can see how our fast-paced lifestyles can sometimes make the grass seem much greener on the other side, but jealousy will only produce more weeds. Be inspired by the success of others, and appreciate what you have. This is easier said than done, and sounds like a cliché. However, if we can learn to do this and nothing else, we won’t spend all of our time gauging whether we are ahead or behind. After all, who’s keeping score?

{photo by Melody Melikian}

5. “Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to live our days motivated by the kind words we receive instead of discouraged by the negative? This is a choice we can all make. Compliments are usually delivered by the courageous and genuine, while insults come from the insecure and spiteful. Whose words would you rather live by?

Most importantly, don’t forget the SPF.

{photo by Melody Melikian}

June 2013 Issue