On Living...

I leave to my children, Julia & Christopher (and any others God grants to us), my advice on living life to the fullest, and I leave my dreams for you. There is so much to say, it is difficult to know where to begin. What is most important? Whatever I list here, most of all, know that my heart is full of love for you and that I wish you the greatest happiness.

What is happiness? To possess fundamental happiness, one must be at peace: peace within and without. It has been my experience that one may find great satisfaction in many things, but true peace in few. It is my observation that true inner peace begets outer peace. Where does one find such inner peace? In my experience, one finds that peace in relationship with Jesus Christ. No other earthly pleasure, diversion, or exercise, will clear the conscience and soothe the spirit in quite the same way. If one finds inner peace in Christ, that peace can generate an outward peace and even calm in the most horrific moments of life. For this reason I encourage you, my children, to follow hard after Jesus Christ. Walk in His wisdom, obey His precepts, and follow in His footsteps. This alone is the foundation of lifelong success and happiness.

Having established a core of peace in your life, ensure that you maintain it through devotion, clean living, and kindness to others. It is in such kindness you will find your next great reward. Receiving gifts from others or acquiring material possessions and wealth will generate brief enjoyment; but, the greatest pleasure is to be found in serving others. Seek out opportunities to love other people with your money, your life, and your smile. Touch other lives and always bring a song into their hearts by your actions and words.

When you have done these two things, you will be well on your way to happiness. However, there are many more things which I may write that might be of some use to you. So, I continue.

Love God first, love your family second, love your community third, and finally love the nation which you call home. This great nation of which you are a citizen is a privileged land. Learn well the principles upon which it was founded. Honor its God and protect its freedoms. Do not be ashamed to exercise your rights on behalf of others and of your nation. Resolve to defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic with the pen and with the sword.

Honor your father and mother: a commandment of great promise. Honor the senior saints of your life. They have traveled far and learned much. It will do you well to spend time with them and learn from their wisdom. Share with them your youthfulness. It is welcome warmth to dying embers. Respect those in authority over you and obey their guidance so long as it does not compromise your principles or character.

Cultivate a strong character. Choose tasks for yourself which are not most simple. Go out of your way to accept challenges. Make careful friendships. Surround yourself with people who will build you up – not drag you down. Seek out others less fortunate than yourself. Befriend them. Lift them up. By doing so, not only will you build your own character, but you will make lifelong partnerships more valuable than any other thing you may possess.

Choose your words carefully. They are powerful. The tongue is like a fire. It can be used to inspire or destroy. Choose carefully when to use each capacity. Do not be afraid to say, “I’m sorry” when it is honest and efficacious. However, never apologize for truth when it needs to be spoken.
When it comes to love, do not rush. The sweetest loves are those carefully chosen, tenderly nourished, and deeply rooted. Take your time to find your life companion. Build a friendship to last your lifetime. Foster the skills to make yourself a competent partner. And when you do find “the one” with whom you will spend the rest of your life, treasure them above all else. Place them first in your life. Love them with selfless abandon. Don’t build your bond on emotion or sexuality alone. However, don’t be afraid of these important parts of a relationship. Human emotion is a wonderful gift. Life would be empty without it. Sexuality is also an exquisite delight to be savored, nurtured, and shared between one man and one woman. It should be cherished and guarded against plunder at all costs.

As you build your relationships and discover life with all its’ nuances, don’t fail to notice the tiny details of the spectacular world around you. Take time to smell the roses, to revel in the fragrances of fresh rain in springtime, and taste the sweetness of spring water. Pause to consider the magnificence of the heavens and the grandeur of all creation. Work to preserve it and be a good steward of the resources of this planet.

Take pleasure in things beautiful and do not cheapen or squander them. It is gratifying to hear the harmonies of a symphony, to watch the choreography of the dance, and view the strokes of the master painter. It is inspiring to grasp the power of a story, to find the secret in the drama, or solve a mystery. Do not be afraid of these things, but also take care to avoid overindulgence in pleasure alone without a balance; else, beauty is cheapened and pleasure is diluted.

Strive hard to learn all you can learn. Be a voracious reader with an insatiable appetite. Stretch your mind and grow it at every opportunity. Be a thinker. Consider ideas with which you are not familiar. Build upon the things you know. Seek understanding of everyone and everything around you. But, be balanced in all things. Never fail to give a hearing to the ideas of another even if they differ from your own. To do otherwise is to disrespect the other person’s journey. This is not to say that all things you hear will be true. It is only to say one must respect others even in moments of strongest disagreement. Give them a hearing. It will make you a better person and likely give you opportunities to share ideas with greater effectiveness by far.

Be kind. Be disciplined. Be strong. Do not be afraid to be afraid. There is nothing wrong with healthy fear. It increases ones awareness and enhances caution. However, do not cower in the face of it. Rather take heart and do what must be done in spite of your fear: this is true courage!
Be honest. Do not seek gain on the shoulders of someone else’s labor. Work hard. Set goals. Achieve them. But do not forget to enjoy the journey along the way.

Take care of your body. Do not squander time on vanity, but do not be a slob. Keep your body fit. This will make your life more enjoyable and productive. Remain neat and well-groomed and be sensitive to style. This is not to say that one should continually change with the whims of fashion. However, one can and should be professional and/or tasteful in their dress and comportment always. Not only does this contribute to one’s own sense of self-confidence, but it allows one to have audience with most people.

When you choose your career, choose something you love if at all possible. It is far easier to spend a lifetime doing what you love than grinding away at your existence in something you hate. At the same time, do not be afraid to change when it is needed. Change is inevitable. It is one of the few certainties in life. Do not fear it. Embrace it and subdue it and use it to the advantage.
When it comes to money, do not fear it, but do not underestimate its power. It is a force with which to be reckoned. It has a powerful potential for generating great good, but if it becomes master it will wreak great havoc and sorrow. Be sure to remain its master and use it for great virtue.

Don’t be afraid to dream. In dreams are great possibilities. Don’t be afraid of those who mock your dreams. They are recklessly wasting their own.

These are the fundamentals I have discovered for living a happy life. If you start with these, you will be far along the road to success. These are by no means the end of wisdom. This is just a start. By learning and practicing these things, I hope you will avoid errors I’ve made and will be stronger and better for the knowing of them. However, if and when you do experience failure, fail gracefully. Stand up. Brush yourself off. Get back on the bike and ride onward.

My dream for you is that you will take life by the horns and make a thousand million memories. Take lots of pictures. Sing lots of songs. Do not hesitate. Do not falter. Think always. Have faith. Laugh often. Live every moment with vigor. Never give up. Chase the impossible. Love with abandon. Always sing. Never stop dreaming!