Run, Will, Run!

I caught the last few minutes of the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards the other night. I tuned in just in time to hear Will Smith give his acceptance speech for favorite voice in an animated film (Shark Tales). The audience was a little wound up, so I'd bet the significance of his speech was lost on most of the pint-sized fans. But, I thought it was a good one:

He told kids that the keys to success were running and reading. Run because when you run, there's a little voice inside that says, "Give up. I'm tired. It's time to quit." When you learn to ignore that little voice, you can conquer anything. Read because there have been zillions of books written for zillions and billions of years. You are not the only one with whatever problem you have. You are not the first person to have that problem. Someone has written about that problem and can help you.

No, these were not Will's exact words--this is how I remember it, which always means I may be a little off. I didn't tape it or take notes--I was racing through the room, cleaning up after my three little piggies. I thought it was a very inspiring speech. The only thing I would add is: Write. Write because once you master communication, you will never starve. Your mind will be fed and you will be able to put food on the table! Communication and creativity are the keys to so many professions, and writing provides a solid foundation for our future scientists, inventors, engineers, architects, novelists and illustrators.