Opioids are highly addictive. If possible, stay away from them entirely and definitely not for more than 2-3 days. Manage pain with NSAIDS or Tylenol.


16, 18, 21



Let’s talk about how we can bless people - with what we have and by how we act.


7



Honestly I think all religions are at least fifty percent bull pucky and none of them come close to reflecting the loving nature of God, which is broader and deeper than our little brains can grasp. So pick your poison. Whatever religion feels like home, like a place that can provide context for you to explore the goodness and beauty at the heart of the universe…that’s the religion for you. And if no religion fits the bill, that’s fine too. Either way, always remember and keep coming back to the knowledge that you are so very loved.


16, 21



Sometimes rejection is God’s protection. If u worked hard and gave it your all and still missed the bus, that bus wasn’t yours. Read The Artist’s Way.


17



Check your ego. Often.


17, 21



Go on a tour of the Kennedy Center. Free guided tours through Friends of the Kennedy Center.


10



Sometimes you have to disconnect the “doing” from the “feeling.” Not so much that you’re disconnected from your feelings but that you’re able to tell them to get in the backseat while you take the wheel. It’s a skill. Practice makes you better at it.


12, 16, 19, 21



True masculinity is vulnerable, compassionate and confident. Vulnerability takes courage. Kindness/compassion takes strength. Confidence: when you’re not really interested in what others think about you. It’s a natural byproduct of living in line with your own values and priorities.


11, 14, 16, 19, 21



Never allow anyone to tell you who you are.


17



“You can miss a person every day and still be glad that they’re no longer in your life.” — Oprah Winfrey


19



Poems are great tools to help them to read, recite, practice handwriting, and illustrate.


7



Highly recommend book about math and multiplication techniques:“The Best of Times” by Greg Tang.


10



Every time your heart breaks, your vision gets better. You appreciate beauty and recognize and respond to others’ pain better.


12, 15, 18, 21



Stay put, don’t wonder if lost when we hike.


2, 3, 5



A person is only as good as how they treat you when they are angry with you.


17



The things we invite to protect us take their job seriously. They will not abandon the watch without a fight to the death. So be careful, very careful about what u invite as armor. Please don’t place your trust in drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, working, disconnecting, etc. Put your trust in that which is creative, honest, loving, beautiful, interesting, inspiring, challenging or peaceful. These things make much better bodyguards, and they will never turn on you.


13, 16, 20



If you don’t have anything intelligent to say on a subject it’s fine (encouraged) to say nothing. Listen. Learn.


20



Be protective, never be possessive. watch out for your friends’ well-being, their good names, that’s what friends do. But friends don’t try to manipulate someone’s feelings, thoughts or actions.Same goes for romantic relationships.


10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 21



Read Elizabeth Gilbert’s book on creativity. Re-read every few years!


17



Adopting a “do it right now” mentality has done wonders for my self-discipline. Something on the floor? Grab it right now. Thinking about cooking later? Cook right now. Laundry finished? Put them up right now. Home from a trip? Unpack right then. It’s the small things.


8, 9, 12, 17



Ask your emotions “why” three times.


14, 16, 21



White privilege doesn’t mean that your life hasn’t been hard, it means that your skin color isn’t one of the things making it harder.


14



Don’t let some dumb-sh*t’s overconfidence get you killed.


11, 14, 17, 19, 21



Teach them about shaken baby syndrome.


13



Keep going. Push yourself. The struggle makes it all the more worth it.


17, 21



Give them the book Starfish by Lisa Fipps.


12, 14



Knowing something is right and application of it are two different things. To apply yourself takes discipline. Practice it.


15



Read maps.


9-14



Let's all go on a "complaining diet." See how long we can go without a complaint for a weekend. Repeat often.


9-15