12 things I hope my boys remember . . .
1- Life is like taking a vacation. Some people spend great lengths of time meticulously planning out all the details. Some people pack their debit card, passport and phone and make a plan as they go. Both ways work beautifully.
There is no one way to live life. The trick is to learn to make choices that give you more choices. Whichever road you decide to take, know that you will have unexpected and sometimes unwanted detours. Those seasons never last. Keep going.
2- Learn to approach the world and people with wonder.All through your life people will do things differently than you, and that’s okay. Learn to find it fascinating rather than annoying.
3- You are the creator of your life, so there’s not much room for complaining about it. You’re responsible to change something if you don’t like it.
4- Always have a side hustle, and invest that money.
5- Develop friendships. This will be a worthwhile investment of your time. Find people who are smarter than you, so you can continually be learning new things. Search out those people that make you laugh. Friends that laugh together bless each other their entire lives.
6- Make sure you’re friends with the person you marry. You’re going to spend a lot of time together, and if you genuinely enjoy each other’s company and work well together, life will be much easier. Don’t overlook the power of attraction, but be sure you have a good foundation of laughter, synergy and a common direction you want to go.
7- Develop excellent communication skills. Learn about love languages and personality types. Learn to talk through hard subjects. Learn to clearly communicate your needs and understand the needs of those you love most. Take courses. Practice communicating your thoughts clearly and listening intently. You won’t regret this.
8- Put technology away when you’re with your roommates, your dates, your spouse, and your children. Have plenty of afternoons where you schedule time to just be with the people in life that are most meaningful to you. You don’t have to do big things, but intentionally creating moments of connection is a skill worth having. Look people in the eye, listen to their words, go for a bike ride, enjoy nature, explore the world and spend time just being together.
9- Be kind. There is nothing you can do that is better for your own heart than to develop the habit of being kind to others. Look for those who need a smile or an encouraging word. Be a lifter and leave people better than you found them.
10- Be healthy. Moderate your sugar intake. Exercise regularly and take care of your body. The state of your health affects every facet of your life. The good habits you develop now will be a blessing to your 40-year-old self.
11- Be spontaneous and take risks. Start that business. Travel. Ask that smoking hot person out. Be flexible. Make time for fun, especially on sunny days. Be brave when figuring out what you want to do in life and never settle for a path just because it feels safer. Challenge yourself. Do things you didn’t think you could do. You will never regret breaking out of routine and making memories.
12- And lastly, you won’t always be happy. There will be seasons when everything goes smoothly and you’re flying high on success AND there will be seasons when everything falls apart and life feels too hard. Be thankful for the good times and be patient with yourself in the hard times. Neither seasons last forever. Cherish the happy times and grow in the hard times and remind yourself constantly that just being alive is a beautiful gift.