GREAT ADVICE (AT LEAST I THINK SO)!

There was a time I didn't want children. 

I looked at the world way back then and didn't feel equipped to help properly prepare a child to not just survive it but flourish. There was also a time when I looked at the world and didn't see it as the kind of place I wanted to bring a child into.

That all changed along the way as did I.

Once our daughter was born, I wanted to do what I could to provide some life lessons and leave some advice I deemed valuable should anything happen to me.

Turns out, she didn't need it. As of this writing, I am still here, and she turned out perfect (much because of her mother), but not all kids are so lucky/blessed, so, taken from a rough draft, here are some random pieces of wisdom that I would have told her (and probably did along the way) and am now sharing with you).

* * *

(1) "Pretend to be completely in control and people will assume that you are" (various attributions).

(2)  Just get through it! If things are great, enjoy them because soon they will suck. If things suck, hang on because soon they do get better. (Repeat as necessary.)

(3) 86 percent of guys are jerks! Find someone in the other 14 percent!) 

(4) Not everyone who's your friend is your friend.

(5) Whatever it is, it will get better. (See #2)

(6) Do what you have to do.

(7) Take care of your teeth and health

(8) Learn basic finances. Watch your credit

(9) "There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see, yet small enough to solve." Mike Leavitt.

(10) Don't create problems

(11) Find and read (and reread) Desiderata (https://allpoetry.com/Desiderata---Words-for-Life)

(12) Find and read (and reread) 10 Rules for Being Human (https://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/10-rules-for-being-human/)

(13) Find and read (and reread)11 Things They Don't Teach You in High School (https://sites.google.com/site/math10westviewsecondary/11-things-we-don-t-teach-you). BTW, these are not from Bill Gates.

(14) Don't ever stop learning and growing as a person.

* * * 

 This list above is but a starting point. There is so much advice out there. All we have to do is Google great advice, try it on for size, and the floodgates open.

I can guarantee someone needs to see the above list. Feel free to share.