Life Lessons for My Kids

Here is a list of life lessons I hope I'm passing onto my kids. I am not polished at all of these things, but I value each of them and hope they will help my children be well-rounded adults. 1. Be aware of your body, how it feels, how it's functioning. Notice how what you do and what you ingest affects your body and mind. Make changes to your lifestyle and diet if what you have been consistently doing, doesn't feel like it supports you any more. Fine tune your diet. Be honest with yourself about your addictions and learn techniques and steps to change them into life-supporting habits. 2. Know how to feed yourself a healthy meal and to clean up afterwards. Know the joy of cooking/feeding or sharing a healthy meal with others. 3. Be aware of your environment. This goes for the small and the bigger environment. Notice your surroundings. Does something need your attention, because it needs repair, cleaning or some love? Take care of that. It's a good way to feel like a custodian of your environment. 4. Get out in nature. It's how we feel connected to god. Then we don't feel so lonely any more. All the beauty we observe is a reflection of what we are. It makes us feel better about ourselves to connect with natural beauty. 5. Know how to connect with others by being a good listener and by learning compassion for all we meet. This can be done by putting ourselves in the shoes of others, if only for a moment. 6. Be a part of a community. Humans do not do well in isolation. Learn how to work in collaboration with others to achieve something of benefit to a wider group. Learn how to accept help-not to be an island. 7. Know how to be still and quiet and how to make a regular retreat from life. This is important for reflection and rejuvenation. We become tired and weak from constant bombardment of stimulation and interaction with the mundane. 8. Be brave and stand firm for what's deeply important to you. Don't feel pressured to compromise core values, for fear of treading on another's toes, or not conforming, or being a nuisance. 9. Be aware of your needs for a flourishing life and learn how to peacefully express these needs, without force or anger. Putting other's needs ahead of your own for too long is destructive of your life force. 10. Be aware of co-dependency in relationships. Take steps to make sure that you do not forget who you are, what your passions are and what brings you joy and indulge in this as often as you can.