Lessons My Parents Taught

My mother and dad were worthy people, not because they had a fancy job or a high level of education, but because of their life experience and what they believed in. They shared thoughts, ideas and life lessons. And even when wrong, they left us indelible lessons.

Breathe in the future, breathe out the past.

Isaiah 43:18 – 19

“Remember you not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

No matter where we were or what we were going through, we were shown worthy paths through it all.  Never expect, assume, or demand anything, just do our best, control what we can, and let go of what you can't.

We should all accept the other for who they are inside.

There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.

Speak the Truth                             

Speak your truth even if your voice shakes and you know it won't be well-received. You are something beautiful and unique so if you hold that back, the whole world gets a bit less amazing. Walk your path confidently and proudly, don’t expect anyone else to understand your journey.

You are not who you used to be, and that’s OK.

People go through many ups and downs in life and it changes them, you are no different. Your perspective has changed, your likes and dislikes have changed, your political views may have changed, and that is all normal. When people accuse you of changing just replay by saying:  “Of course I’ve changed. That’s what life is all about. I’m still the same person, just stronger and wiser.”

Everything that happens helps you grow.

Take everything life throws at you as an opportunity to enhance life all about you. Whatever happens, hold on to hope. Learn from everything and don’t be afraid to make the same mistake as often as necessary.

Life should be simple.

Focus on one thing at a time. You don’t have to do everything, and you don’t need to do something in every second of your life. Breathe, be present, and do your best, it's the most anyone, including yourself, could ever hope for.

Educate yourself to be content, not to be rich.

There is a big difference between knowing the price of things, and knowing the value of things. In the end, you will come to realize that the best days are the days when you don’t need anything special to make you smile.

Always be positive.

Your misery or discontent is determined not by your circumstances, but by your attitude. Smile to those who want to hurt you, show them that they can’t take away your happiness from you.  That is their burden, and not yours. Your will power is stronger than you know.

Pay close attention to those you care about.

When people say “I’m okay,” you need to look them in the eyes, hug them tight, and reply, “I know you’re not”.  Care about doing the right thing.  Some people only seem to remember you when they need you.

Learn how to let go of people.

Some people are bad for you, some people need to do things on their own, and some people might need you to teach them a hard lesson. It's not easy to say goodbye when you don’t have to, but you know you need to.  It's for the benefit of both sides.

“I can’t believe I did that”, is much better than, “I wish I did that.”

Don’t live your life trying to impress others, live it as you grow toward better things because it is the right thing to do. If you know you will regret not doing something, just do it. It's that simple.

If you can't find your happy ending, maybe it’s time to look for a new beginning.

We all fail from time to time, it's just part of life. Don’t be stubborn and just accept it. The strongest people out there are the same people who have fought the toughest battles, lost, and moved on to a new beginning.