​Tell the truth always, no matter what. Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal anything, no matter what. And believe me, I was one of the biggest lying, cheating, thieves of them all, and as a result I had to learn some of the greatest lessons of my life, the hard way and suffered great loss as well. Eventually, I learned.

​Be loyal, be faithful to your family, friends and loved ones, always. Honest, loyal people are priceless and are becoming harder to find. But you can become one of those people. And if you want a better life and have a more positive effect upon others then we have to become and remain honest people always.
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​After years of doing wrong, one of the most important lessons I ever learned in my life was to be honest with everyone, and in everything I do. Why? Number 1, it’s always the right thing to do. 2, your friends will trust you. Your family will trust you, and being honest, completely honest will have a positive effect upon the lives of everyone you come into contact with and have a relationship with as well. Even a little white lie can ruin a relationship and it can take years to win someone’s trust back.

Never cheat someone or take advantage of anyone in any way, shape or form. Never steal no matter what – even if you’re starving and have no food to eat. If you’ve done someone wrong then humble yourself, come clean, ask for forgiveness and make it right as best as you can. Be honest, loyal and faithful to everyone who comes your way. Be the kind of friend that you want to have. Be honest with everyone and in everything you do, and in doing so, you will have a much better life. Just one of the many lessons I learned in my life, the hard way, and one of the most life changing experiences as well. 
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It’s so important to become a loving person. Showing love and affection to friends and family and telling them you love them every chance you get. Haven’t seen my youngest daughter in years, but the last time I saw her I couldn’t stop hugging her. Lost my son to cancer several years ago, wish I would have hugged him more often and spent more time with him and told him I love him over and over again. Wish I would have done a lot of things differently. Wish I would've shown a lot more love and affection to everyone in my life. Don't forget to tell your loved ones you love them and hug them every chance you get.
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​Most people love their own friends and family and can easily show them love, but what about strangers, the homeless, the addicts, the alcoholics. A while back I came across a local woman who would smile and say hi to me whenever I saw her, but this time she was walking and crying and just asked me for a hug. I gave her a hug of course, but I was also able to buy her a little bit of food as well.

Come to find out she was homeless and sleeping behind the dumpster of a restaurant. That’s very sad. I gave her the phone number for SAMHSA, the national treatment referral helpline (1-800-662-4357) and told her to call the number to get help finding a recovery program with housing. Wish I could have done more for her. But that little bit was a lot for her. And I’m sure anything we can do for those less fortunate will mean a lot to them as well.

So many people out there with all kinds of problems and all they need is someone to show them a little bit of love and kindness in their lives. It’s important to quit drugs, but it’s also important to become a better person – a kind, loving, honest person. 
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A counselor friend once told me, “it’s better to do good than to do nothing at all”. So do as much good as you can while you have the opportunity to do so. Be kind and help others as much as you can. Put as many positives out there as you can. The world needs it. Even a simple word of encouragement can make a huge difference in someone’s life.
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​Been through it all, drugs, heroin, coke, crack etc, lying, cheating, stealing, lived a messed up life, to the point of losing it all, kids, wife, my life. And will regret these things for the rest of my life. But one thing I learned over the last several years is that it’s never too late to change. No matter how old you are, or how young you are, or how far you’ve gone down the wrong path, it’s never too late to change and turn your life around.

​No matter what you’ve been through or how messed up you think you are, it’s never too late to change and try to become a better person. Even if you lost it all, it’s never too late to start all over again and create a new and better life and a new and better you. As long as you can see the need and have the want to do so, then it’s never too late to change and live a better life, a clean, decent, honest life. It's never too late to become a better person - a kind, loving, honest person. Change is Possible.

​​Sincerely,
Jorge (George) Fernandez
Over 20 Years Clean from Heroin 
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