The First Minister has joined an online campaign to help young people achieve their goals and tweeted: "Always follow your dreams and don't let anyone tell you that you can't."
Nicola Sturgeon gave the guidance as part of the a Twitter and Facebook push launched by the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Young Academy of Scotland which asks well-known and high-achieving Scots from sport, politics, academia, business, music and other arts as well as people from all backgrounds to offer their "aspirational advice".
Karen Lorimer, a medical sociologist at Glasgow Caledonian University and YAS member.
YAS responded: "Great advice Nicola, thanks so much for your input!"
Irvine Welsh, the 56-year-old Trainspotting and Filth writer, was earlier one of the first to take part. He tweeted: "Don't listen to anybody older than 21."
Education consultant Heather "the Weather" Reid tweeted "always be yourself" along with a picture, while sports stars such as Commonwealth Games high jump finalist Jayne Nisbet and boxers Alex Arthur and Craig McEwan are also taking part.
Sir Ian Wood, known for his work in the North Sea oil industry with the Wood Group, tweeted: "If continuous improvement is not at the forefront of your thinking, you're almost certainly going backwards.
"Complacency is the real danger to you not realising your potential."
The Young Academy will run tweets until April in the campaign designed to encourage young people to follow up their plans in their chosen field.
Neil McLennan, Young Academy of Scotland co-chair, said: "The campaign is growing with a great range of advice coming from various sectors, backgrounds and countries. It continues until the exam start and we welcome everyone's sound advice to the next generation.
"What advice would you give to raise a young person's aspirations?
The YAS team - set up by the RSE to provide a platform and voice for leading young entrepreneurs, professionals and academics - hopes the campaign will boost people embarking on the road to a career or personal goal.
Participants are encouraged to take a picture of themselves holding their message written on a piece of paper.
The photographs should then be posted on Twitter or Facebook along with the hashtag: #AspirationalAdvice and @YoungAcademySco.
Medical sociologist, leads sexual health research team at GCU. Member of RSE Young Academy of Scotland, member of Global Young Academy.
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