49 LIFE-lessons that don’t cost a cent
ALL of us have exactly one life in which to do everything we’ll ever do. As parents, when you send your children to school for the first time and follow their little life adventures, do you wonder what life lessons truly count? What are the best gifts to give your children? Is it the latest smartphone? A new laptop? A fun vacation? There’s nothing wrong with material things, but the most important gifts usually don’t cost a cent, and bring long-lasting joy, fulfillment, and success. Thanks to Daniel Wong of daniel-wong.com, we at Wealth Mentors thought it would be useful to share some of the key highlights from his post on the real treasures that don’t cost a cent.
- Responsibilities
The truth is that behaving responsibly adds meaning to our lives and allows us to develop character, forge meaningful relationships, and get ahead in the work world. Through responsibilities, children learn to be responsible. And being responsible is a key factor that leads to enduring success.
- Contentment
We’ve all had the feeling before. You know that you have everything to be thankful for: a great significant other, a loving family, a pretty good job, and a healthy working body. Still, you keep having this nagging feeling that what you have just isn’t enough. More shoes, more clothes, more money, more electronic devices … It’s easy to feel as if you never have enough. But if children don’t learn to be contented, they’ll never be happy.
- Vulnerability
Be real. If you’re scared, say you’re scared. If you don’t know, say you don’t know. If you made a mistake, say you made a mistake. If you feel hurt, say you’re hurt. If you’re in love, say you’re in love. Be vulnerable with your children by sharing your challenges and weaknesses – as well as what you’re doing to overcome them. This way, your children will learn that they don’t have to pretend to be perfect.
- Managing their emotions
By preparing yourself ahead of time, you’ll find that the problematic emotion goes away before it interferes with your life: Select the situation. Avoid circumstances that trigger unwanted emotions. Modify the situation. Shift your attentional focus. Change your thoughts. Change your response. Children must learn to deal with emotions like anger, frustration, and disappointment in order to lead a productive life.
- Letters
Receiving a letter tops our list of life’s simple joys. Not only is letter-writing a nice way to disconnect from technology, there are emotional and health benefits surrounding letter writing as well. If that doesn’t convince you to pick up a pen and paper, I don’t know what will. Daniel’s mom has been writing him letters for years, and he has kept all of them. In those letters, she shared her hopes, dreams, and concerns for Daniel. Each letter inspired him to live with a stronger sense of purpose and determination.
- Family Rituals
Family rituals are great for bonding. Research also shows that they help children to develop socially. These rituals could be as simple as having breakfast as a family every Saturday morning, or having a weekly family meeting.
- Strong relationship with your spouse
Commit to your spouse. As you model a healthy marriage for your children, they’ll learn how to build a strong marriage for themselves and their spouse in the future.
- Be a team player
Volunteer. Give freely to your community. As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Great things are accomplished through teamwork.
- Money management
Track your spending. Share with your children the basics of smart spending, saving, and investing. These skills will benefit them for the rest of their life.
- Kindness
Children must learn to be kind toward others – and also toward themselves. Teach your children to become their own best friend, so that they won’t ever be overwhelmed by guilt or shame.
- Inquisitiveness
There are endless things to learn and explore. Become an inquisitive person yourself, and share with your children the joy of embracing the beauty of the world around us.
- Appreciation
Tell your children what you appreciate about them. Set an example by frequently giving others sincere compliments too.
- Love
Remind your children that you love them unconditionally. It doesn’t matter what grades they get or what achievements they rack up. The more loved your children feel, the more they’ll be able to love others well.
- Patience
Worthwhile accomplishments don’t happen overnight. As such, patience is a virtue that’s at the foundation of fulfillment and success.
- Challenges
Children must be given enough appropriate challenges, so they’ll learn to enjoy challenges, rather than avoid them.
- Gratitude
Studies show that grateful people are happier, healthier, and more successful. Show your children that there are always things to be thankful for, no matter what the situation.
- Humility
You can learn something from everyone you meet. By maintaining a humble, teachable attitude, your children will maximize their personal growth.
- Respect
Take care of the elderly. As you show your children basic respect, they’ll learn to respect others. They’ll also learn to have a healthy respect for authority.
- Laughter
Life is full of struggles, but there are also plenty of things to laugh about. Make your home a place of joy and laughter, and your children will have many wonderful family memories.
- Self-control
Without self-control, your children won’t be able to keep their commitments or make progress toward their goals.
- Affection
Love is best spoken and shown. Words are important. But so are actions. Children need physical affection from you, whether it’s a hug or a pat on the back.
- Time
Parenting matters. When you spend time with your children, they’ll see that they’re so important that you’re willing to make sacrifices just to be with them. The gift of time doesn’t cost anything, but it’s priceless.
- Spirit of giving and sharing
Invite others. Assist others whenever possible. Research shows that giving is better than receiving. Model for your children what it means to be generous with your resources and time.
- Integrity
Remain honest. Strong relationships are vital for long-term happiness and success. The most important ingredient in any relationship is trust, and you can’t build trust if you don’t have integrity.
- Safety
To maximize their potential, children need to feel safe and secure. They’ll only feel this way if they have a stable home environment. So if your home is full of tension and conflict, take steps to address the underlying issues right away.
- Healthy Living
Health is something we take for granted when we’re young, but age will eventually catch up with us. Teach your children the importance of healthy living by sleeping, eating, and exercising right as a family.
- Positive Thinking
I’m not talking about living in a fantasy world. I’m talking about teaching your children to see the opportunity and potential in every situation, no matter how bleak things might seem.
- Unconditional Support
Be quick to help. We all have our low moments. That’s when we need encouragement and support to pick ourselves up and get back on the right path.
- Serving Others
A meaningful life is one which is focused on serving others and on making a difference in the lives of others.
- Habits
Discipline is a virtue. The “small” things you do every day matter more than the “big” things you do once in a while. Your habits will make you or break you. Teach your children this truth, and help them to cultivate healthy habits.
- Reflection
Respect character. Your character is of far more value than anything you can sell it for. As Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Reflection enables us to turn events into experiences, and to gain wisdom.
- Forgiveness
Forgive quickly. Wrongs happen and mistakes are made.Friends will betray you. Colleagues will gossip about you. And you’ll most definitely make mistakes. These are facts of life, so children must learn to forgive others freely – and themselves too.
- Empathy
Disagree humbly. Nobody gets it right every time. When you see things from the other person’s perspective, you won’t cast judgment prematurely. Set an example for your children by being understanding. As a result, they’ll become more caring and empathetic.
- Resilience
Overcome difficulties. This world isn’t easy. Here’s one of my favorite quotes: “The only difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is how high you raise your foot.” The path to success is full of setbacks, so children need to develop the mental strength to deal with these setbacks.
- Good Manners
Express gratitude. Being a polite, well-mannered person will never go out of style. Good manners also help to create a solid first impression.
- Organizational Skills
Care about the right things. The older your children get, the busier they’re likely to become. Without organizational skills, they won’t be able to effectively manage their schedule and priorities.
- Fun
Laugh often and then laugh some more. Play is a crucial part of life, no matter what your age. Have fun as a family, and show your children that there are times when you shouldn’t take life too seriously.
- Listening
Love conversation. This is a skill that few people master. By listening actively, you’ll build stronger relationships and develop empathy.
- Dreams
Having dreams is an important part of leading a fulfilling life. So give your children the freedom to dream, and tell them about your dreams too. Not every dream will become a reality, but having dreams makes life more exciting.
- Passion for Learning
Learn from others. You don’t go to school to get an education; school is just one part of your education. Share with your children the things you’re learning, the books you’re reading, and the skills you’re developing. Your children will begin to see that learning isn’t mainly about passing exams. It’s about continually improving, so that you can make a bigger contribution to those around you.
- Values
Many people make decisions based on pragmatism. But the ones who lead the most significant lives make decisions based on principles and values. Empower your children to lead a life of conviction, not convenience.
- Choices
As children get older, they need to be given more choices and responsibilities. At the same time, they must learn that choices lead to consequences. Allow them to experience these consequences, so that they’ll make even better decisions down the road.
- Hard work
Work hard and love your work.Getting good grades requires hard work. Becoming a valuable employee requires hard work. Building strong relationships requires hard work. In other words, achieving anything worthwhile requires hard work. Teach your children the value of hard work, and show them that hard work is fun!
- Vision
Vision is the starting point of all groundbreaking inventions, technologies, and businesses. To become visionary, children first need the freedom to explore their imagination.
- Attention
When you’re with your children, put aside your newspapers and electronic devices, and be fully present. Children appreciate this more than you might think.
- Freedom to fail
Admit mistakes and work to fix it. As Seth Godin once said, “If failure isn’t an option, then neither is real success.” As long as their well-being isn’t in danger, give your children the freedom to make mistakes and fail. This will help them to build courage and resilience.
- People skills
Be a good friend to find a good friend. Getting along with others is an invaluable life skill. Coach your children to ask good questions, empathize with others, and communicate effectively.
- Ability to win and lose gracefully
Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. Regardless of the outcome, you should display grace, respect, and humility.
- Knowing the difference between wants and needs
Be content with little. Understanding this difference will prevent your children from chasing after things they don’t need – and which won’t make them happy. As such, they’ll lead a simpler and more meaningful life.
Remember that our lives and resources are finite. It is important to instill a sense of destiny, and understanding that we have a purpose to fulfill in life. These life lessons are important gifts you can impart to your children bit-by-bit, over the course of years. This process, would be worth the while when your children grow up to become focused, disciplined, responsible, generous, and kind adults.
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