Advice To Junior Pirates (My Kids)

Note: This was first posted a couple of years back as "guidance" to my kids. I might as well share it with you - no way my 16 and 22 year old are going to listen to me.


The world doesn't know what's best for you... but I have some insight.

1. Relationships: God first, family second, everything after that pretty much falls into place. Yeah, I know... so do as I say, not as I do.
2. Sometimes parents blow it. See 1 above.
3. Do what you love, the money - or other rewards - will follow.
4. If you show people you care (and truly do care), they will care about you.
5. Focus on the other person. Its a lot more interesting and you, like just about everyone else, probably spend too much time thinking about "you" anyway.
6. The past is past. Let it go.
7. Really learn what Abraham Maslow was talking about in his hierarchy of needs. The applications are endless so long as its "not just about you".
8. Don't try to change people, its not your job and you're not equipped to do it anyway. Help them, care about them, but leaving the changing stuff up to God - He's better at it than you are anyway.
9. If its got an engine, its going to cost you... a whole lot more than you think.
10. Look before you leap... then leap anyway.
11. Take big risks.
12. See the world.
13. Meet people from different cultures and spend more time learning about their culture than you spend telling them about yours.
14. Try some new foods. Then go back to cheeseburgers.
15. Fictional characters are just that, fictional. Be you, not some idealized character.
16. Don't settle for anything less than deeply, incredibly, overwhelmingly incredible.
17. Life's short, forgiveness is long.
18. Friendships are rare. The ones that matter the most are probably the ones that take the most time to nurture.
19. Try to do things right the first time.
20. After you fail at 19 above, keep at it (if its worthy of the efforts) until you get it right.
21. Create value, not a big bank account.
22. Share success.
23. Take responsibilities for failure... give credit for successes away.
24. Let somebody else win sometimes.
25. Spend your time and energy on cool and worthwhile stuff... there's plenty of people who will work on junk.
26. Demand more of yourself than others.
27. Clean your room when you live with your parents.
28. Clean your room when you don't live with your parents.
29. Toxic is toxic, regardless of wherever it resides in your life.
30. Smile big and lots. Then smile bigger and more.
31. Brush your teeth.
32. Don't do something "better than someone else", do it completely differently than anyone.
33. The world needs more creators. Be creative.
34. The world needs more people of passion. Be passionate.
35. Marry once and stick it out. Marry someone of faith.
36. Be nice to mom and dad, they have a hard job.
37. Its true, you kids grow up fast... but remember, us parents grow old just as fast.
38. Take 37 to heart. Spend some time with us while before we are drooling in our oatmeal.
39. We are proud of you... even when you don't deserve it.

Note: Probably won't hurt to add granddad's advice to young men (next time, Pops, think about sharing this a little earlier, ok?): "If it's got breasts or wheels, it's going to cost you money".