Plan a trip someplace where we can see the Northern Lights.


15



Sometimes there’s nothing you can say or do to help someone feel better. In times like that, just make sure you don’t make it worse.


14, 18, 21



Read If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin. Young adult coming of age story.


14, 17



Marry for character, not just chemistry.


17, 21



Watch documentary The Rescue together.


15



Talk about how choices become habits. Habits can become addictions. Describe how pathways are literally dug into the brain and it's very hard to change them once those paths are made.


13-16



Help them develop a positive attitude. http://www.momentsaday.com/10-activities-help-young-children-develop-a-positive-attitude/


5



Whatever your first knee-jerk reaction is, it’s not always the right one. Sleep on it.


14, 17, 21



Kids (and people of all ages) need attention, affection and appreciation. It’s not all they need, but it’s a start!


11



Be kinder than necessary.


9, 15, 21



Work on developing a “no shortcuts” mode. Looking for a faster/easier/bare-minimum option isn’t always bad. People get paid a lot of money for creating efficacy. But there are times when that approach is wrong. Anything you want to grow from (relationships, school, work, wealth, health, knowledge, etc.) those things deserve your full effort, focus and dedication. Play. Definitely play! But don’t f*ck around.


12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 21



“If you can’t figure something out, figure out how to figure it out.” - Paul Graham


18



Keep stuff on hand for guests. Be ready to be a good host / hostess at any moment.


16-21



Fall in love with a person, not a feeling.


19



Connect with people however you can, in whatever way feels natural to you: Talk, listen, perform, compete, create, laugh, pray, explore, share your truth, acknowledge the divine in yourself and in everyone you meet.


16, 21



You’ll be finished with school soon. The most important thing I hope you learned is that there is still so much yet to learn.


21



All behavior is communication.


2-6



Are they (we) getting enough quiet?


8, 12-14



Drills (Writing pages of lines, grammar games,etc) Contractions, pronouns, commonly misspelled words, homophones like their and they’re, etc.) Drill drill drill! Written communication is so important and a simple mistake could cost big points at work.)


12



“Bullies are scared people hiding inside scary people.” -Michelle Obama


8-12



Being accountable means saying that I was responsible for making sure this did not happen - but it did happen. I accept the blame and an prepared to incur the consequences. I will work earnestly to earn back your trust and confidence. The opposite of accountability is to make excuses or blame someone else for your mistake.


10, 18



“There’s a hole in the side of a boat. It can’t be fixed, it’s never going away, and you can’t get a new boat. This is your boat. What u have to do is bail water out faster than it’s coming in.” -Aaron Sorkin (Newsroom season 3 episode 6.)


17, 21



Read blog post from Parent's Corner: The Letter Your Teenager Can't Write You By Gretchen Schmelzer June 23, 2015


13-17



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


17



In professional setting: Limit one exclamation point per email, if any. Definitely no emoticons.


19



Spend time with people you admire, in person and biographies, documentaries, novels and movies.


14-17, 21



Birds of a feather flock together


14



You don’t have to keep it together. Let the tears come. Feel the loss. The big feelings never last long, they are a storm you can weather. Then the sky is brighter afterwards. Grief is medicine when expressed, poison when suppressed.


19, 21



Whatever you choose to do, do it well and there will always be a demand for you. (Quoting Adam Schiff from his book “Midnight in Washington.”


16



People will speak or act in all kinds of unpleasant ways. Stay calm and kind.


14-21