I have to say that I really would never have imagined myself sharing a video clip of Ashton Kutcher. Not that I don’t think he’s adorable, I just wouldn’t have expected what he delivered at Fox’s Teen Choice Award to come from such an unlikely venue.

But he delivered. And it’s worth watching. And possibly sharing with your child, (I say cringing slightly at his use of a couple of words; but I’m a geek and I know kids use those words. He used one of them well. Grabbed attention then lathered it in truth. But still … I can’t shrug off my southern upbringing where some words are off limits. See Also: a conversation I just had with my daughter about one of the words he used. Funny, she heard the same word used by an adult in church. We disagreed on the foul nature of the word and its suitability. Which was followed by her mother saying, “If you would use that word in front of SuSu, then great. Feel free. If not – probably best to steer clear.” … just sayin’)

Certain word choice aside, here’s a little taste of the great stuff Mr. Kutcher shared (as reported by Business Insider). I hope kids were/are listening.

Thanks for the good word, Chris :) … and thanks for walking the road with me.

-Kay

“Opportunity”

“I believe that opportunity looks a lot like work,” he began. He goes on to describe his first jobs: helping his dad carry shingles to the roof, washing dishes at a restaurant, working in a grocery store deli, and sweeping in a factory.

“I never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. Every job I had was a stepping stone to my next job and I never quit my job before I had my next job.”

“Being sexy”

Ashton’s point about “being sexy” was far less shallow than the crowd of screaming girls who couldn’t get enough of him using the word “sexy.”

“The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart. And being thoughtful and being generous. Everything else is crap. I promise you. It’s just crap that people try to sell to you to make you feel like less. So don’t buy it. Be smart. Be thoughtful and be generous.”

Living life

The final point was where Kutcher finally dropped the “Jobs” movie reference. “The third thing is something that I just re-learned when I was making this movie about Steve Jobs.”

“Steve Jobs said when you grow up you tend to get told that world is the way that it is, and that your life is to live your life inside the world and try not to get into too much trouble. Maybe get an education, get a job, make some money, and have a family.

But life can be a lot broader than that when you realize one simple thing: everything around us that we call life was made up of people that are no smarter than you. 

And you can build your own things and you can build your own life that other people can live in. So build a life, don’t live one, find your opportunities and always be sexy.”

And in other news, The Onion reports…

[sidebar: For those not familiar with The Onion … it’s a parody. Still, this isn’t any of us… is it? :) Click the pic to read the rest of that story.]

Thanks for walking the road with me.

-Kay