Jason Helveston, with a simple list.
—-
- Listen to your wife.
- Listen to your husband.
- See your kids (the kid underneath the kid).
- Read books outside of your own tribe.
- Read books to your kids.
- Make up stories and tell them (but then let us know you made it up).
- Sing songs as a family.
- Sing in the car.
- Become a fool to make someone smile.
- Take a day off (if you work too much).
- Work more (if you take a lot of days off).
- Think about others.
- Serve others (if you seek approval by being served).
- Allow someone to serve you (if seek approval by serving others).
- Ask questions.
- Seek real answers.
- Challenge assumptions.
- Not disregard something or someone because you think you totally get it already.
- Do justice.
- Love mercy.
- Walk humbly.
- Drink less (if you drink too much).
- Drink more (if you’re dehydrated).
- Work out.
- Pray.
- Not text and drive.
- Not tweet and drive.
- Not email and drive.
- Not facebook and drive.
- Not instagram and drive.
- Not _____________ and drive.
- Just drive.
- Love people whom others think are unlovely.
- Remember people whom others deem forgettable.
- Forget people who seem to always remember faults (and nothing else).
- Follow the leader.
- Be a leader.
- Lead leaders.
- Follow followers (as long as they are following a good leader).
- Refrain from posting when you are not “yourself”.
- Refrain from making public what ought to remain private.
- Refrain from keeping private what ought to be made public.
- Turn your frown upside down.
- Make lemonade and ice tea and homemade ice cream.
- Dance (to good music).
- Laugh (at good jokes).
- Clap (for others).
- Run (for fun).
- Seek to understand someone you disagree with …
- … not simply wait for my turn to talk.
- Assume the good.
- Work through pain.
- Be honest about evil and injustice … and your contribution to each.
- Deal in reality.
- Daydream (when not driving and otherwise able).
- Make plans.
- Be flexible with your plans.
- Change plans when your just being stubborn.
- Press meaning into your work beyond the bottom line.
- Press meaning into your friendships beyond your personal happiness.
- Press meaning into your relationships with your children beyond making them do what you say.
- Press meaning into your marriage beyond the bedroom.
- Learn what it means to “press meaning” into something.
- Love beyond your comfort.
- Love beyond someone’s deserving.
- Love beyond expectation.
- Love beyond how you have been loved.
- Love beyond ________________ .
- Admit your fears.
- Deal with your fears.
- Embrace your fears.
- Have faith that fear never wins.
- Learn your story.
- Tell your story.
- Find your place in a bigger, better, more beautiful, and bolder story.
- Help a brother out.
- Help a sister out.
- Not hate the player, hate the game (or not).
- Take less.
- Give more.
- Wash the dishes.
- Take out the trash … before it overflows … and before being asked.
- Wear watches.
- Wear sports coats.
- Not wear white socks.
- Wear confidence subtly.
- Tuck-in your shirts (if you usually don’t).
- Untuck your shirt (if you usually do).
- Wear cologne (or perfume) (or don’t).
- Keep it old school, even when new technology comes out.
- Don’t wear out hospitality.
- Invite your parents over for dinner.
- Invite your friends over for the game.
- Invite your neighbors over for drinks and Downton Abbey.
- Listen to Justin Timberlake.
- Move with the beat.
- Walk (when you could drive).
- Seek forgiveness.
- Forgive.
- Think of more things to do more often …
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photo: Oleh Slobodeniuk / flickr / creative commons license
thank you, beauty is as beauty does.