Which line of poetry would you get tattooed?


17



Change always brings feelings of unease. It’s easy to confuse that feeling of unease with the feeling that something must be wrong. Give yourself time to adjust before deciding if a new thing is bad..


14, 18, 21



At the start of a day / project / interview / date / etc. Do this one simple thing: State your intention. How do you want to carry yourself? What is the goal for the outcome? Just take a moment to imagine how you want to behave, react, appear, etc. What impression do you want to leave with the people you interact with? Of those things that are in your control, what outcome would make you proud?


15, 20



A mommy-friend of mine gave me some good advice: "Count the wins." So what if you didn't clean the house, you showered! So what if she's wearing 9 different colors - she dressed herself! Great advice. So remember, especially on the difficult days - and there will be many: Count the wins.


1



Rock those babies to sleep as often as you can.


0, 1, 2



Don’t bring a complaint without offering a solution.


17, 19, 21



“There is no such thing as a “bad kid” - just angry, hurt, tired, scared, confused, impulsive ones expressing their feelings


7, 12



Be willing to say “I don’t know” if you don’t know! Don’t just make stuff up.


15, 20



Sometimes procrastination is part of the process. Eventually though, doing the thing is easier than stressing over it or hiding from it.


10. 12, 15, 21



Just because you miss your ex that doesn’t mean you want them back. Of course you miss someone you had a deep connection with.


17, 21



Send thank you acknowledgemnt for gifts received


1-21



Let them borrow your calm. Little ones (grownups too) sometimes just need to freak out a bit. Stay there. Be near. Don’t judge or even help. Just be there, and stay calm. Your loving energy is all they need as they work through it themselves. Keep them safe but other than that don’t help or advise unless they ask.


2-6, 17, 21



Make a gift of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.


15



Build something beautiful.


13, 21



Ask them to think of foods that taste good and also foods that make them feel good. Involve them in lunchbox decisions, dinner planning and prep, etc. so they’re empowered by their food habits.


6-9



Surround yourself with people and ideas that inspire you and captivate you. Life is too short for destructive relationships.


13, 18



Love then when they least deserve it because that’s when the need it the most.


3, 13, 17



“I don’t know what I think until I write about it.” - Joan Didion


15



Visit Aunt Janet in Morehead City for Seafood Festival in October


2-99



Plan a trip to New York City to see Hamilton.


15



Take advantage of all the help that’s available to you! Counselors, advisors, mentors, etc. Then pay it forward when you’re in a position to do so.


17



Behind every behavior is a need.


2, 3, 4, 13, 14



Be mindful of privilege. Discuss the concept, point it out where you see it.


11-18



Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" speech.


10



If baby / toddler is melting down, put them in the bathtub or bring them outside. A change in temperature will calm them.


Infant-4



The problems with pornography: When you’re young and have yet formed a basis for healthy and mutually satisfying sexual relationships, your brain doesn’t know what to do with that input. It becomes part of your brain, imprinted as normal or the way sex should be. When you’re older, the brain can see something that’s outrageous and recognize it and discard it. Also it’s incredibly misogynistic, will do horrible things for the way you see women. While some is fairly harmless and totally normal, even too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Too much of a bad thing is disastrous.


11, 12, 13, 14, 15



Just do the next right thing. One step at a time, you’ll get there.


13, 18, 21



My ballet teacher used to punish us by making us sit on the floor and hold our arms up. It hurts! But you learn how to sit with pain. You learn how to endure and how to use your mind to make your muscles really don’t want to do.


14, 20



Talk to people like they belong and are valued exactly as they are in that moment.


12-14, 21



Talk about the difference between not feeling comfortable and not feeling safe.


7, 11, 14, 19. 21