08/30/2026
Ten things I want my kids to know:
1. Happiness is a lot of work. You can’t be lazy or entitled to achieve it.
2. You will make mistakes and they will only define you if you give it that kind of power. If the lesson is learned, the mistake is worth it. It’s your choice whether or not it wins. You are not a prisoner to your past and you are allowed to grow.
3. The world owes you nothing. It does not care who you are, where you come from or what you think you deserve. Everything you achieve will have to come from your own dedication to what you love. It will not be handed to you easily.
4. People do not get to tell you who you are. Make peace with your own soul and give no one the power to tell you that you’re something you’re not. Know who you are and be okay when others do not understand you.
5. Work hard. Never go into anything with half your heart. Respect is earned by how you did the job and not the title by your name.
6. Show up for your people. No matter what has happened, show up. That’s what people will remember about you in the end of all of this.
7. Choose grace for others and for yourself. No one gets it right. You won’t either. Bitterness is the anchor to the soul but grace sets you free.
8. Have fun. Be adventurous. None of us are getting out of this alive so make the time you have count with the people who actually matter.
9. Laugh in the good times and the bad. Your sense of humor and your ability to take a punch will set a strong foundation of stability.
