With 2022 high school graduations upon us, I wanted to share a letter that my friend Clint August wrote to his son recently, when his son turned 18 years old. Clint is my co-host on our Sex Talk with Clint & the Doc podcast, and a well-known San Diego on-air radio personality.

I’m happy I get to call him a friend, and his dedication to his role as a father comes through with an abundance of love in this letter.

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Son,

There are a few things that I hope you keep close to your heart and in your mind as you journey into adulthood...

Be you. Be your most authentic, YOU. No matter where you are or who you're with, always be who you are in your mind and your heart. Don't ever try to be something or someone that you're not, to impress others. Be you and it will take you a long way in this life.

Be a dreamer...and if you're going to dream, DREAM BIG!!!

Be happy. It's a choice. It's an attitude. If you decide to be happy, you will be. It's really that simple.

Be successful. If being rich and famous is your idea of success, great. If simply making enough money to pay the rent and keep food on the table is your idea of success, great. Maybe it's that you have many friends who you love and they love you back. Success is measured in your mind. If you define what success means to you and then you achieve it, you're successful.

Be kind. It's easy to be kind to others but remember to be kind to yourself. Life can bring pressure that you may not expect so give yourself a mental break and realize, you're doing the best that you can everyday.

Be a leader. Be a servant leader. Rarely ask someone to do something that you haven't done or wouldn't do yourself. However, never be afraid to learn from someone who knows more than you do and try to learn from them as well.

Be adventurous. Whether it's a last-minute food run with friends or a road trip around the Country (maybe the world), live an adventure. It's good for the soul.

Be Godly. Always remember that God has your back. Just ask him. Daily prayer keeps you grounded and helps to remind you that he's watching over you.

Be brave. If and when fear grips you, remember that whatever it is that you think you're afraid of, is most likely only in your mind. Take a deep breath and visualize the outcome you desire. Sometimes you just have to go for it! As long as it doesn't harm you or anyone else, take the steps necessary to move forward and get past that fear. Victory feels fantastic. Especially, after you've claimed it over something you thought you couldn't do.

Be honest. This can keep you out of more trouble than you may ever realize. If you're honest and you tell the truth, even when admitting that you screwed up (we all do), you can take solace in knowing that you never have to cover your tracks. It's less stressful and much easier to speak the truth...Unless your significant other asks, "Do these pants make me look fat". Then you have my permission to lie like a politician.

Be confident and Be humble. When you possess attributes, like making people laugh, acting or anything else that you know you're good at, don't be afraid to share those talents with others. When you share them, however, remember that we all have our own individual talents, and to appreciate what others bring to the table as well.

Friends. Real Friends...Make them, keep them and appreciate them the way you want them to appreciate you. Friends watch out for you (as you do for them), and support you whether you're up or down. They speak the truth sometimes even when it hurts. As long as it comes out of love, these are your friends. It's easy to know who your friends are when times get tough. Not so easy when you're on top of the world so keep your real friends close.

Dylan, there's so much more that I'd like to tell you in this one letter but these are just the basics.

Admittedly, I am a little saddened at the thought of not being around you everyday but this is no comparison to the excitement that I feel, in seeing what the future holds for you.

There isn't a word in our language that can encompass the love that I have for you, the pride that I have when I watch you on stage or in the conversations that we have about anything at all.

Just in case you didn't already know, you're already every single thing that I mentioned above which should tell you...BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE!

I'm always here for you no matter what.

Love,

Your Dad

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~Dr. Jenn Gunsaullus, San Diego Sociologist, Intimacy Speaker, & Relationship Coach