By Dr. Victor Schueller | Relationships health family business friends community culture work school life blogs blogging
Yesterday I provided the first half of the lessons I hope to teach my daughters. If you missed it, and the rationale behind it, you can read that post by clicking here.
Here is installment number two of the life lessons I want to make sure my daughters learn:
12. Don’t tease or make fun of other people. By doing so, you are assuming that you are somehow better or superior to others in some way. Not only that, but you are hurting other people’s feelings, and showing that you neither respect them or value them. It’s just plain mean, and there’s no need for it.
13. Be in tune with your body. If you are hungry, eat. If you are full, don’t eat. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Take good care of yourself, by taking vitamins and supplements that help build a strong, healthy foundation. Stay physically active, because doing so is good for your heart and mind. A healthy body is able to better problem solve and be creative, because the brain is receiving ample nutrition, which is vital to thinking and forming new neural connections.
14. Respect yourself, but still respect the right of others to respect themselves. Assert yourself, but don’t squash the rights of others to have an opinion or thought.
15. Learn two of my favorite quotes: “Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option,” so eloquently put by Laurel Sheck, and, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind,” quoted by Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss).
16. Figure out what you love to do and go for it. While you can listen to what others suggest, you make the ultimate decision of what works best for you. After all, you are capable of great things, and you may exceed the expectations that anyone could ever put upon you. You may change the world by following your passion.
17. Don’t ever place limits upon yourself, and don’t ever allow anyone else to place limits upon you either. The limits you experience are those which you place upon yourself. There is no ceiling; there is no cap. You possess unlimited potential, and you can tap into it to discover true greatness. There are no limits on how great you can be.
18. Extend compassion and empathy toward others. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the other person, and imagine how they must be feeling. Be compassionate of others and show patience and understanding. By doing this, you will become in tune with the feelings of others. You will become known as a great listener and possessor of wise advice. You will establish a reputation of being loving and compassionate, and it will serve you well.
19. Exhibit gratitude toward others. When someone does something nice for you, recognize it and thank them for their generosity. By being grateful, you tap into the regions of the brain which are known for empathy and compassion, and you will exhibit the behaviors of the spirit-based consciousness. You will transcend the ego-based mentality and realize the true potential of greatness that goes with collaborating with others.
20. Be true to yourself. Don’t become someone else for someone else. Be who you are and let people love you for who you really are. Those who don’t love you for who you are probably shouldn’t be major characters in your life.
21. You bear responsibility for what you do and what happens to you; you are not a victim — ever. You are accountable for everything that happens to you. Assuming accountability does not equal accepting blame. Become a problem solver, not a complainer. Complaining doesn’t fix any problem.
22. Be happy when other people are happy. Don’t take pleasure in other’s suffering, or get envious of someone else’s fortune. You are responsible for your own fortune. If you don’t like how things are going in your life, you are responsible for making your life the way you want it. Don’t get upset because someone else has figured out how to make themselves happy. Make yourself happy. It’s on you.
23. You need not worry about comparing yourself to anyone else. Set the bar for yourself, and go for what you want. Don’t base your successes off of the successes of others. Focus on yourself and accomplishing your goals. Don’t become preoccupied with what others are doing. Create your own success, and you will truly be happy and find fulfillment in life.
I wish I could do all of these perfectly myself. Hopefully, in time, my daughters will learn these valuable lessons, and realize the true greatness of the potential they possess. I know my girls, like any young person, possess tremendous untapped potential. It is my hope that they learn how to tap into it, and become the wonderful women I know they can become!
Here’s to the future. Thanks for reading!
