Practical Wisdom for Children

Below is a collection of worldly advice and wisdom that I have picked up from others or learnt for myself over the years. It’s ever-growing and to be added to, but I want to share it with you so that you can learn for yourself and more importantly teach the children in your life. I won’t go into detail on each thing – there’s just not time or space for that. Some are self-explanatory, others you’ll have to research elsewhere. 

In no particular order:

1. Follow your bliss.
2. Everything is connected.
3. Everything is energy.
4. Bet on yourself.
5. The best investment you can make is to invest in the Bank of Self.
6. The more you learn, the more you earn.
7. Serve others, as you’re able.
8. It’s all made up.
9. Question everything.
10. The separation is in the preparation.
11. Practice makes progress (not perfect).
12. Don’t get caught up in dogma.
13. People do the best they can with the resources they’ve got at the time.
14. Live with an attitude of gratitude.
15. Find at least three things you can be grateful for each day (and write them down).
16. The map is not the territory.
17. Experience is subjective.
18. Nothing has any meaning except the meaning you give it.
19. You, and you alone, decide how you feel.
20. Pay now (with your wallet) or pay later (with your health).
21. Learn to listen.
22. Read every day – the person who doesn’t read is no better off than the person who can’t read.
23. This too shall pass. The good times don’t last (so enjoy them while you can), but neither do the bad (so don’t wallow in them).
24. Life runs in seasons.
25. Sometimes you love, you lose, and you learn, and that’s okay.
26. There are no quick fixes. Success takes time, planning, effort and a little luck.
27. Set goals but detach yourself from the outcome. Instead, focus on the process. 
28. Find mentors you believe in.
29. Nothing’s that important. 
30. Life goes on.
31. Women are complex. Not to be understood by men but keep on trying – you might get somewhere!
32. When a woman tells a man her problem, often she doesn’t want the man to solve it (so stop jumping to solutions men!) – just hold space for her. 
33. Three words a woman wants to hear from a man – “I’ve got this.” (this is about security) And three that a man wants to hear from a woman “I’m with you.” (this is about loyalty). 
34. People just want to be heard. 
35. We’re not alone in this universe.
36. How you do anything, is how you do everything.
37. Play full out. 
38. Be a positive example to others. Be the change you want to see in the world.
39. Dance like no-one’s watching. 
40. Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. 
41. Motive matters.
42. Practice yoga.
43. Learn about many religions but follow your own spiritual or non-spiritual path. 
44. Learn to meditate. 
45. Drinks lots of water each day. 
46. Prioritise good quality sleep.
47. Your body will look after you, if you look after it.
48. Hug daily.
49. Kiss longer.
50. Forgive quicker. (That includes yourself).
51. Chew your food slowly.
52. Someone’s always worse off – and also better off.
53. Be – Do – Have. Not have – do – be.
54. Work on your inner game and the outer game will be easy.
55. Join the Scouts or Guides.
56. Experience nature.
57. Put your tech away.
58. Keep jumping in puddles.
59. Time is illusionary.
60. Be congruent.
61. Hone a talent. Put your 10,000 hours in.
62. Learn Photoreading, NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and other mind tools.
63. Spend money on experiences, more than things.
64. Give 10% away to charity.
65. Volunteer your time to good causes.
66. Be willing to say ‘no’ to good opportunities, so you can focus on great ones.
67. If it’s not a “hell yes!” then it’s a no. 
68. Read ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People”, “Think and Grow Rich”, “How Life Works” – in fact, read the top ten books in each category on my reading list.
69. Travel widely.
70. Strive to be outstanding.
71. Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of bravery.
72. It’s usually easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
73. Spend less than you earn.
74. Invest.
75. If you need to criticise, criticise the behaviour, not the person.
76. Be genuinely interested in others.
77. Notice what the masses are doing and do the opposite.
78. Don’t go out looking for friends, instead go out looking to be a friend.
79. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
80. Be willing to ask for help.
81. All emotions are part of the human experience, so don’t try to suppress any.
82. Ignore the naysayers.
83. Break some rules.
84. Love openly.
85. You can either be right, or in love.
86. Pay attention to nature. It’s your teacher.
87. Eat well – eat real food, not too much and mostly plants.
88. Learn to cook.
89. Experiment fearlessly.
90. No risk, no reward.
91. Thoughts are things.
92. What you focus on comes to pass.
93. Learn about the Law of Attraction. And the other laws of the universe. 
94. Stay grounded (emotionally and physically – to the earth).
95. Move your body often (hourly).
96. Learn a Martial Art (or two).
97. Learn languages and musical instruments. They are good for the brain.
98. Learn to dance.
99. A broken heart heals.
100. You tend to regret things more that you haven’t done, rather than things you have.
101. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
102. Failure is only feedback.
103. Attention – Assign – Action. You can’t control the events, but you can decide what to focus on (attention), what things mean (assigning language/meaning) and what to do (action).
104. Your health is your greatest wealth.
105. Develop your strengths. Know your weakness and limit the impact these have – outsource them to others to mitigate effect.
106. Failure is an event. And necessary to succeed. Learn to enjoy it.
107. Trust in yourself.
108. Be humble.
109. Laugh at yourself.
110. Smile.
111. Laugh every day.
112. Find a partner – once you are already complete. Don’t look to them to ‘complete you’.
113. This planet is alive.
114. Everything is a holographic representation of larger pieces.
115. Eat plenty of green and coloured vegetables daily.
116. Drink veg/green smoothies and juices.
117. You need a dark sky to see the stars.
118. We live in a relative universe. 
119. Learn to cultivate and trust your intuition.
120. Get out of your head and into your body more.
121. Life is about experiences, loving and serving others.
122. Most people overestimate what they can do in a year, and grossly underestimate what they can do in 10 years.
123. Lead by example, not force or fear.
124. Be compassionate.
125. Think about what today’s decisions mean for the you of tomorrow (or 5, 10 50 years’ time version of you).
126. Journal. If a life’s worth living, it’s worth recording.
127. Hang around people that inspire, support and challenge you.
128. Commit to life-long learning but know that you already have everything inside you.
129. Spend more time in nature, not in technology.
130. Look people in the eye.
131. Learn how to speak in public.

I’m going to be adding to this over the years I’m sure, so what are the things you wish you’d known years ago, and that children should learn sooner rather than later. Let me know below.

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