Letters to our teen selves: Grahame Hall

What advice would you give your 16-year-old self? The Daily Post asks four well-known Rotorua people - former mayor Grahame Hall, entertainer Russell Harrison, businesswoman Linley Parry and Rotorua district councillor Glenys Searancke to write a letter to their teen selves
Grahame Hall:

DEAR 16-year-old self,
I am writing to give you some guidance in light of the life experience I have had.
You will find out fairly quickly some attributes in life are more important to achieving your goals than others, understanding and respecting others are high on the list.
You will also find that by surrounding yourself with other positive, like-minded people, it will be very beneficial as you progress through life.
Make sure you follow your dreams with enthusiasm, passion and commitment, when you have these attributes you will succeed when obstacles stand in your way.
You are about to find out, there are many paths to life and they all have gates. However, you will not have the keys to open them all.
Your passion for farming and many working holidays on farms will hold you in good stead as you realise your dream of owning your own farm before you are 30.
There will be many chapters in your life story, however beware, because of your teenage eye for the opposite sex you could be distracted.
Keep focused and marriage and a wonderful family will be your reward in your early 20s. Your children will bring you many rewards and give you a great sense of fulfilment. Family are important to you, but you need to ensure you meet their expectation of you as your ambitions come to the fore.
Music is a fundamental part of who you are. The sheer pleasure of playing music by ear will override the more disciplined path of learning to read music. This is not to say you lack self-discipline.
Your chosen career will demand an intense application of self discipline which you will apply ardently. At the same time your music will continue to provide you and others with much joy and will be your creative outlet. It will also go a long way to preventing you from ending up with hangovers as you get older, because you will be occupied on the keyboard.
Devotion to your career over half a lifetime will, in itself, be very rewarding and will provide you with special life-changing opportunities, both on and off the farm. Nevertheless, the call to leave putting fence posts in at the back of the farm and step up to be part of the decision-making process in farming politics, education and the community will become all-embracing.
Through a combination of good fortune and ambition, this major change in lifestyle and direction will lead you through a unique and fulfilling life. You will be able to apply leadership and the many other skills you have acquired over the years, through working with people from all walks of life. The dreams you realise will be well beyond your youthful imagination, including leading the city of Rotorua as mayor for 12 years.
From Grahame