1. Guard your heart. Your heart is the most precious thing you have, protect it. When you love someone romantically, you give away a piece of your heart. That's something you can never regain. Don't awaken feelings of romantic love until you're ready for marriage. Also, be careful who you trust. It's important to guard yourself from those who don't have your best interests at heart.
2. People wear masks. Everyone wears a mask. There isn't one person alive who doesn't wear a mask in some way. People use masks to hide their fears, their insecurities, and their secrets from the world. Try to identify that mask and see the person behind the mask. Analyze a person's words, actions, and body language to determine their true character.
3. Take off the mask. Show the world the real you. Tell it what you really think. Don't be afraid to stand out and speak up for what's right. When you're around those who honestly care about you, take off the mask. There should be no reason that you should be ashamed to show everything about yourself.
4. Live life with no regrets. When you take off the mask, there should be no deed that would bring you shame. Don't do anything that you would be ashamed of if everyone knew. On the other hand, don't let fear stopping you from living a joy-filled life. Time is precious. Nevertheless describes it best in their song "Live Like We're Alive:" We're here only for a second, but then we're gone when we least expect. So do more than survive, let's live like we're alive.
5. Your legacy is what you make it. People won't remember how much money you had, the size of your house, the popularity you achieved; people will remember for how you made them feel. Influence those around you to do good, encourage them to persevere, and comfort them in tough times. You do these things, you'll have a wonderful legacy.
6. Life is full of pain. It doesn't matter what you do in life, you'll experience pain. Happiness just doesn't work, it's impossible to ignore the pain withing becoming numb to the world around you. How you respond to pain reflects your character. Some people shut down, some gut it out, while others want revenge. Few people reflect and learn from their pain. Never let yourself become numb to the pain. It's better to feel pain than nothing at all. For if you can feel pain, that means you are capable of feeling love.
7. Never take things for granted. It's true, you never know what you have until it is gone. This is true for both material possessions and or the relationships that you have. One day, you can be best friends with someone, the next day worst enemies. Don't take things for granted.
8. Dream big. You have dreams for a reason, pursue those dreams. Find out why God gave you those dreams. Use those dreams for God's glory. Napoleon Bonaparte once said, "Glory is fleeting, but obscurity lasts forever." Even if you make a small difference in the world, it's better than settling for mediocrity. Set aside your fears and stand out. Make a difference in the world.
9. Know Thyself. Learn as much as you can about yourself. Know your strengths, your weaknesses, and your tendencies. Sharpen your strengths and build up your weakness. Understanding your thought process is a small, but necessary step to success.
10. Love. It all comes down to this. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16. Everything in history points towards this verse. It's all about love. The love we have for each other and the love we have for Jesus Christ.
Our future, our legacy is in hands. It's up to us to decide the legacy we will leave on the world. 33 Miles says in their song "One Life to Love," We have one life, one chance, one life to love. Life is too short to care only about yourself. Look around, take a glance into the eyes of the hurting. There's a world out there that's crying out for love. The best way to leave a legacy is to leave a legacy for Christ.
This generation has the opportunity to be a generation like no other. It's up to us to decide how we will change the world. Will we leave a legacy of love or a legacy of selfishness? What legacy will you have? The choice is yours. The time has come. Life starts now.
