My beautiful daughter, Brittany, recently had a birthday. Another year older, another year sweeter – I swear, the girl’s heart makes Texas look like an ant. A small, sickly ant. Why God saw fit to bless such a naturally beautiful girl with such inner beauty is beyond me – you’d think one or the other would have been enough. She also has a wicked sense of humor, is as smart as a whip, and can make biscuits like your grandmother used to make. Okay, okay…I lied about the biscuits – sometimes I get on a roll and don’t know when to stop…
Anyway, the birthday card we gave her was not only pretty – it taught a few very valuable lessons. So much so that I wanted to blog them for y’all to enjoy, too. If you sit down with each of the 9, you’ll be 9 times wiser and happier when you stand back up.
NINE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
1. Trust your instincts. It it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t….fun, tempting…maybe, but not right.
2. Remember your manners. It doesn’t cost you anything but it speaks volumes about who you are. Having class starts with this.
3. Never let possessions OWN you, It’s just STUFF! The most valuable things in life – friends, respect, love, knowledge – don’t cost money….Hokey, but true.
4. Nurture your friendships. The investment you make in true friends will pay huge dividends all your life – remember, you can’t make an old friend.
5. Keep your hands clean. This is meant both literally and figuratively…it will save you a lot of regrets later…
6. Believe in yourself. Yeah, this is another hokey one, but you do happen to be the only you in existence, and you’re also the only person in the world who can truly hold you back in life…. Think about it.
7. Be grateful. Don’t waste all your todays in anticipation of some grand tomorrow. Now is all we’ve got. Live in it!
8. Treat others the way you want to be treated. (Okay, so I didn’t make this one up) The point is, just because you’re smarter or richer or prettier than someone else doesn’t mean you’re better. It just means you’ve been more blessed.
9. Always keep playing. Who says adults have to give up toys? Keep the little kid inside you alive. It keeps your imagination primed. Silly is Good.
Make each moment count double,
~Joi
The card (which actually had 10, but the tenth was about love and that sort of sweet, mushy stuff – so I didn’t include it) was from the beautiful “Connections” line of Hallmark cards. They aren’t even like greeting cards, they’re much deeper and prettier. They’re for when you care enough to send better than the best!
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