Always remember…

Today my wife found this note in our daughter’s backpack. At first glance, I was confused.

However, once I realized what it was, I couldn’t help but smile. Big.

Like most parents, we want our child to have an amazing childhood while also preparing them to be successful in the real world.
So how do you distill life lessons into your child in such a way that an 8-year-old can understand?

Here’s one of the ways I attempt to do this.

Each morning I drop my daughter off at school. As she exits the car, I say the same thing to her each day: “Remember…
Work Hard.
Smile.
Stay Weird.
Be Nice.
Make it a good day.
And don’t forget…. You’re awesome!” She wrote a note to herself as reminder.

Even though she’s only 8, we’ve talked about each of these at length so she knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Work Hard – you can achieve anything if you’re willing to work hard enough for it. If you want it, go get it. No one will do it for you.

Smile – it not only puts you in a good mood, but brightens the day of those around you. Smiles are contagious… it’s science!

Stay Weird – in a world in which people are consumed by how other people perceive them, just be yourself. If you want to sing out loud, then do it. Don’t worry if people think you’re weird. Have fun, and be you.

Be Nice – so simple, yet so important. It doesn’t matter if you know the person or not; treat them like they’re your best friend, and they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

Make it a good day – you have the power to control how you mentally approach each day. Although there will be bad days, don’t dwell on negativity. In fact, forget about it entirely. Focus on the positive and you’ll have a good day, every day.

And don’t forget…. You’re awesome! – Confidence is important. After all, you are the culmination of your own thoughts and self-perceptions. If you *think* you’re awesome, then you ARE awesome!

I don’t know if my approach will work, but it’s great to see some of these lessons sinking in. If she can absorb even a few of these then she’ll be heading in the right direction.

And that makes me smile. Big.