I was testing my voice to text option on my phone a while back... in December, in fact! I always write good blog posts in my head while I'm driving, so I thought it would be great to just speak them. Turns out, it's not quite the same. I think I need to think too fast when I'm speaking for something. Anyway, since I did have one, I thought I'd put it out here. I can't say I wouldn't edit it and change it all if I were actually writing it, but it's what I came up with so I'll keep it. Except the grammatical errors. I can't keep those.
10 things that I wish I could impart on my kids before they have to learn them as an adult
Number one. I wish they would understand that hanging their clothes up really does take two seconds and it pays off in the long run when you're looking for what you need. I of course have not learned this lesson yet myself but perhaps I could impart it to them and they won't have to be nearly 40 years old and just learning it for themselves.
Number two. It does sometimes pay to put 100% effort into some things. On the other hand, it doesn't pay to to do it for all things. Sometimes 80% is just fine. Also, it's okay to show that you care about something. You don't always have to be a passive observer.
Number three. It's always okay to be nice to someone. You don't have to be a jerk even if they treated you like one you don't have to do the same to them. In fact, they may have 1 million things happening to them and you have no idea what it is. Give them the benefit of the doubt. It doesn't do anything to you and it certainly may make their day. Number four. The world does not revolve around you. In fact, not even most of the world revolves around you. Almost anything that somebody else does does not have to do with you. The quicker you learn that the happier you will be. It's just too much brain space to think about why did they do that, or what were they trying to do to me. Don't play that game--it's just not worth it. Number five. Confidence! The more things you do with confidence the better off you will be. people will follow your lead if you seem confident and will question you if you seem like you're questioning yourself. Now don't appear overly confident if you're volunteering to fly an airplane or do something crazy, but if you're just at work or you're at school, be confident. Your ideas are as good as any other idea and if you share your idea with confidence, I guarantee you will get followers. Sometimes whether you like it or not! Number six. Do what you love. I wish this was easier because I'm not sure I will ever figure out what it is I love to do with passion. But, if you can figure out what you do love, and you can spend time doing it, it sure makes the day go faster. It also makes you enjoy life more and it makes you be a better person to be around. On the flipside, if you're doing something that you don't love, even if you don't know what you do you love, do something different. It impacts your life, your well-being, your family and your relationships far more than you ever think it would. Number seven. Big deals turn into smaller deals the older you get. I know that's hard. You can't learn perspective without having age, but I guarantee you the things that take over your life now will not be the same things that seem like big deals when you're 40, and probably not the same things that seem like big deals when you're 60. Perspective is a good thing and just try to remember that maybe it's not the end of the world. Number eight. Approval is something but it certainly is not everything. That's true either for approval from me and your dad or its approval from your boss or your friends. It's important some days but sometimes you also have to know what's important to you and approval of yourself and for yourself is even more important than any of those other people. Number nine. Other people are just people too. I think everybody has people who scare them or intimidate them. Whether that somebody is in uniform, whether that's a boss or a teacher, whether that's your mom and dad, or friends, I think underneath it all it's important to go into everything with an open mind knowing this is just a conversation, this is just an approach that I have, this is just a person on the other side and they look at me as a person and have preconceived thoughts and ideas too. Break those preconceived thoughts down and see how far you can get. You'll probably be a amazed. And finally number 10. Be open to life. There is no way that I could've predicted going from Elk Mound, to playing volleyball in Iowa, to going to marry somebody from Chicago, to studying in Holland, to going into a career in editing, to marketing, and to HR. No way that I could've predicted four kids. Had I tried to plan my life and live my life according to that plan, I would've missed out on so many opportunities that life gave me. Have a direction so you know when you're not going the right way, but don't have such a specific plan that you're not open to the blessings that God will give to you if only you listen and wait and have patience and have the fortitude to say yes, I'm open to that. Yes, I will do that.
There it is. The 10 things you should know. There are a million more, but for today, these will suffice.
