Three Simple Rules



"Make good choices. Be a good friend. Learn stuff."                   - yours truly


I've been saying this every morning for as long as I can remember when I dropped my kids off at school in the carpool line. Every day, for years, the roll of the eyes. The "I know, mom" as they practically jumped out of the car to avoid the embarrassment of being seen with me during the award middle school and high school days. My youngest is 16, and is entering her Jr./Sr. Year. If she stays the course, she will graduate one year before her peers. The youngest intends to spend a gap year to see if she can make it on the A Circuit. That's equestrian for travel and expensive for riding horses. My oldest daughter, 20, who wasn't a fan of school is a young single mother, but she is doing it with grace, while pursuing her college degree and working full time as a cosmetologist. Bringing up the ranks, is my granddaughter who is almost a year old and is probably my favorite person. I wonder if her mother, my daughter will tell her to make good choices, be a good friend, and learn stuff as she heads off to school someday. I am NOT a perfect mother or person, neither are my kids. We have imperfections for sure, and a ton of experience with cause and effects of bad choices.

Three simple rules, that when applied to daily living, make good sense. EVEN FOR ADULTS!

1. Make Good Choices. Sounds simple, but usually doing the right thing is hard. Especially when we are surrounded by opportunities to make bad choices. I believe that when we tell children to make good choices, we indicate that there is a consequence for bad choices. And some of those consequences are more severe than others. And doing the right thing all of the time, is hard, however my experience is that there are some things that are more difficult than making a good hard choice; for example having to say, "I'm sorry" and mean it. Or occasionally a helping of humble pie isn't nearly very tasty.

2. Be a good friend. To everyone you encounter a smile and a good morning when appropriate. Hold a door for someone. And to your friends be true and loyal. Remember the Golden Rule - ask yourself What would Jesus do? Be kind. Be nice. Listen. When you don't have something nice to say, be quiet. When you need to tell someone the truth, be thoughtful in how you say it.

3. Learn Stuff.  There is ALWAYS something new that you can learn. Always take an opportunity to learn something new. Even something small. Set goals. Use an agenda! Reflect on your day - pray about it - write down things you can change tomorrow.

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