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The world’s newest social media celebrity hasn’t been on the planet in nearly five months. Despite this, his Twitter feed has gone viral, surpassing well over 600,000 followers. The key to his success? His tweets are literally out of this world.

The man behind the tweets is Canadian astronaut Chris Hartfield. He became the first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station last month after NASA astronaut Kevin Ford who has held the role since November 2012 handed over the reigns to Hartfield on March 13th.

What sets Hartfield apart from those who have come before him is his innate sense of social media. Since arriving at the ISS in December, he’s been sharing his experiences on Twitter, Facebook, and even Reddit. His eclectic collection of photos along with his down to earth commentary has impressed thousands, including Forbes, who has called him “perhaps the most social media savvy astronaut ever to leave Earth.”

During an “Ask Me Anything” forum on Reddit, Hartfield was asked if he had any advice for a young person who wanted to join the field. His response resonates not only with future astronauts, but with anyone who has a dream worth pursuing:

“Decide in your heart of hearts what really excites and challenges you, and start moving your life in that direction. Every decision you make, from what you eat to what you do with your time tonight, turns you into who you are tomorrow, and the day after that. Look at who you want to be, and start sculpting yourself into that person. You may not get exactly where you thought you’d be, but you will be doing things that suit you in a profession you believe in. Don’t let life randomly kick you into the adult you don’t want to become.”

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We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. If you have a passion for human rights, media, journalism, or non-profit work, then The Fourth Estate Leadership Summit is the perfect place to start sculpting yourself into the person you want to be. The Summit is a conference for students who want to meet the people, learn the skills, and get the experiences that will help them make a difference in their own communities and abroad. You can expect hands-on workshops, new Invisible Children media, an epic dance party, and one thousand accomplices in the pursuit of justice.

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