8 Life Lessons That I Would Pass on To My Future Children

Time goes by and surroundings change. People are born and people leave. Through it all, much is passed on from a generation to the next, be it words of wisdom, and teachings from life. I often wonder what I would say to my own, what I would pass on. This is my current take on it, summed up in a few humble words:

Remember always that thought is unrestricted; thought cannot be restrained, contained, or abolished. Thought may be swayed, but if you remain true to yourself, your thought will always prevail. Use it to assess what you believe, to assess your surroundings, to analyze both your everyday encounters and your long-term aspirations. Be selfless in your thought, do not concern only your needs with it; let it roam free and experience the world in all its majesty.

Treat the cure, never the symptom. Many people run around focusing their efforts on treating the side effects of a problem rather than the problem itself. Concern yourself only with the cure, endlessly engaging in treating the problem doesn’t solve the issue but rather prolongs it. The foundation is where the problem lies and without the necessary foundation, the structure will never correctly stand.

Idealism is utopia, a wonderful place where everything is without flaw. Do not be ashamed to profess your idealistic mentality. That is the target, but you must accept that the target may never be attainable. Instead, you must accept reality and include it in the equation. Keep your eye focused on the ideal and work your way through reality to achieve it.

Be righteous, but remain kind hearted. In many ways, your negative interactions with people might seem terrible from your end, but you must ask why that person is the way they are. It might be the circumstances they have gone through, it might be a short term stress that turned them that way, and it might just be that somebody overtook them on the road that day. Whatever the case, be kind hearted enough to question that before resorting to negativity on your part. Remind yourself of the parent that scolds their children about discipline, when you can see that behind the method in which the communication was delivered lies a good principle.

Identify your passion, and allow yourself the time to do that. Some people never figure out what they truly love, or perhaps figure it out a bit too late. The process to find your core is a lengthy one and it requires true introspection. Ask yourself what might interest you and practice it. It sometimes requires trial and error, allow yourself that kindness.

Remember to learn from others and teach yourself the modesty to respect opinions, agreeable or otherwise. Dialogue is a great tool for learning; do not filter those you dialogue with. Respect dialogue in itself and remember that you are the master of your silence and a slave to your words.

Let your love be endless, draw no borders for it. Let it roam continents, affecting all those that come by it. It is the only thing that makes you not only decide for yourself but include others connected to you. Only love makes many into one.

Above all else, in life’s ups and downs, remind yourself that triumph is temporary, but class is permanent.