Trust me when I tell you that one day you’ll look back and realize you judged people unfairly and you held strong to convictions only to end up changing your mind about in the light of life experience. Leave a little space open for second impressions or the possibility that you could be wrong.


17



“Take the risks. Make the big moves, even if they’re small moves. Forge ahead with your lives in any and every direction that moves you. I’m asking you to be fearless.” - Rebecca Pearson (character from NBC tv drama ‘This Is Us’)


21



Home is where they love you.


13, 17, 21



Just show up. That’s all we can really control. Show up, (don’t run) and take it from there. You got this.


21



Talk about de-escalation techniques.


15



When disciplining remember: First acknowledge the emotion, then address the behavior.


2-4, 13, 15



Find one or two scary documentaries on the dangers of gambling. Watch together. Betting on sports is a big thing in some schools and I want to scare the $@!#% out of him about how bad gambling can screw up his life. Check online tools from gamblers anonymous.


15



Make a gift of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.


15



Never make a decision from a place of hopelessness.


14, 16, 21



True masculinity is vulnerable, compassionate and confident. Vulnerability takes courage. Kindness/compassion takes strength. Confidence: when you’re not really interested in what others think about you. It’s a natural byproduct of living in line with your own values and priorities.


11, 14, 16, 19, 21



Zootopia is a good movie to illustrate what a bully is and how we should stand up to them when they are hurting or taunting other kids.


5-8



We all have dark thoughts and moods every once in a while. That’s part of being human. But any sustained ideation or inclination to hurt yourself or someone else is a red flag and needs mental health intervention.


12, 14, 17, 21



If it makes you happy it doesn't have to make sense to anyone else.


11, 14, 20



End of August by Robert Frost is one of my favorite poems.


20



Read JAMA article by Brooke Peterson Gabster.


18



Dress for the job you want, not the one you have. Unless you're a lifeguard. ;)


16, 21



Stop before you descend too far into the pain. Let yourself be loved. Rest. Eat. Shower. Breath. Sweat. Sing.


10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21



open your own business


20



Recruit the kids to help with cleaning the house. All hands on deck "round-ups" are fun and efficient: Round up sippy cups, trash, dirty laundry, give-aways, etc. Time them for maximum enthusiasm: "60 second trash round up...Go!" See who can collect the most trash in 60 seconds.


4



Re-Read "Girls and Sex: Navigating the New Landscape" by Peggy Orenstein.


13



Remember Mom's birthday


2-21



Watch the western “1883”.


13



Give your all on the job, from your first day to your last day there. If you’re all caught up on your work help someone else with theirs.


17, 21



Read or listen to The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest.


17, 21



One of my favorite scenes in a movie is James Bond with Pierce Brosnan. Bullets are whizzing by him and he just so of gives a mildly annoyed look while focusing on what he’s doing. It’s quintessential cool.


15, 21



Practice making yourself do something you don’t feel like doing. Practice and it gets easier


10, 12, 15, 18, 21



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


16-21



Let people do what they want to do so you can see what they’d rather do.


16



Let's find little ways to practice self-control and build that muscle.


11



You can waste your time trying to get people to like you, or you can be yourself- follow your own interests, learn what you think about issues and events, music and faith and conscious- and just trust. Trust that the truer you are to yourself the happier you’ll be. Trust that you’ll have better friendships and relationships when you’re around people you don’t have to pretend around or perform for. Trust.


10, 14, 17, 21