{What i want my Boys to know}

Things i have learned that i want my boys to know...

1. Everyone is different and that is okay. That makes us each special. How boring life would be if we were all the same!
2. Do not judge others. You DON'T KNOW their story.
3. Always stand up for what you know to be true.
4. Consider advice that is given to you, especially from someone who has been through it or who is older than you. And especially when more than one person gives you the same advice. I have found that i should have listened a lot more. :)
5. Trials are a good thing. You learn and grow from them. They make you better and stronger. It is hard to see it in the moment, but you will notice after that trial has passed. When your trials are not a consequence of a wrong decision, it is evident that the Lord feels you are ready to grow more.
6. Always love and stick up for your family. They are the most important thing. Friends will come and go, but family is ALWAYS there.
7. Never lose faith.
8. Always give others the benefit of the doubt.
9. Learn to forgive. It is the best thing you can do for yourself.
10. Always think positive about yourself. Don't let negative thoughts creep in. You are so much better than you realize. Negative thoughts are a waste of thinking.
11. Stay close to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. When you feel like you have no one you always have them. They are always there. Trust me.
12. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
13. Smile a lot. It will make you happier and it will make others feel good and want to be around you.
14. Don't talk bad about others. Gossip spreads like crazy. It isn't nice.
15. Don't give into peer pressure. Do what you know to be right and true. You might get made fun of, BUT at least you are sticking up for who you are. People will learn to respect who you are and look up to you for it. Trust me.
16. ALWAYS treat girls/women with respect, even when they don't respect themselves. Please.
17. You cannot always be # 1. Get over it.
18. Be a leader, not a follower.
19. Live in the moment. Enjoy every moment that you have b/c time goes by so fast and you only get one chance at today.
20. Follow your dreams. Be what you want to be.
21. You CANNOT make everyone happy. It's okay.
22. Don't let other people run you over. If you don't want to do something then don't do it. Again, you can't make everyone happy. Don't be the person that says YES to everyone. You will eventually get tired of it and feel run over. It is okay to say NO. :)
23. Be honest. Really, it is the best thing. People appreciate honesty more than you think.
24. Don't get caught up in girls and dating and blah blah blah. Just work on yourself, do what you want and become who you want to be and when the time is right the right person will come along. DON'T search for it. Don't get so goo goo gah gah over girls that you forget what is left and right. Girls will come and go.
25. Hang out with friends that respect your decisions and who make you feel good about yourself. Don't hang out with those that make you feel bad about yourself.
26. The way you are living your life and WHO you are directly correlates with who you hang out with.
27. For goodness sake, don't get caught up in the first girl that comes along. Date around so you know for sure what you want. Be smart. By the way, I am referring to after your mission. No point in dating before that. ;)
28. Be generous and giving. If someone needs help, help them. You will find that service helps you find yourself, makes you happy, and makes others grateful for good people like you.
29. Pray often.
30. Learn to trust, but also be cautious and smart about who you put your trust in.
31. Make yourself laugh. Sometimes those are the best laughs i have.
32. Try to see the positives in every bad or hard situation. It can always be worse.
33. Learn to not stress over everything. It limits your happiness. There is no point in stressing over something that you can't change.
34. Learn to have fun.
35. Always trust your mom and dad. When you need help or need to talk or need an honest answer please come to mom and dad first. We love you more than anyone and want to help you more than anyone on this earth. We want to help and will and can help. Trust your mom and dad.
36. Love your mommy and appreciate her and show it. She needs that from you. She loves you more than anyone! :)
37. It is okay to cry. It is a good release.
38. Be confident in who you are.
39. Be grateful and appreciative ALWAYS. Realize how lucky you truly are for EVERYTHING you have.
40. Don't be hard on yourself. Always do your best and if you can't do something don't give yourself a hard time. Nobody is perfect. We can't be perfect at everything. It isn't possible. The sooner you realize that the better off you are.
41. Don't compare yourself to others. We are all so different. Be happy with who you are and what you can do. Just b/c you can't do something that someone else can do doesn't mean they are better than you. There is something you can do that others can't. That is what makes us all different. Rejoice in differences.
42. Don't be competitive with others when it comes to money--- what you have and others don't have or what others have and you don't have. It is a waste of time. Don't share finances with people. Don't brag about what you have. Possessions and money are not what makes you special. WHO you are as a person is what is important. Money isn't important in the whole scheme of things.

To be continued...