Lessons For My Kids

Sometimes the world needs a little lift to make each day better. Today we go over "12 Awesome Things That Will Always Be Awesome", which is based on people posting on Reddit, and culled together by Financequickfix.com. There are some very "awesome" things on the list, and many more we each could come up with. Please use this list to remember what's awesome in your life, and...

"Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other." - Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture . (Read the book when you get a chance.) Mindfueldaily.com has a list of 10 reasons to always say thank you. The list is good, and we go through each one. The bottom line is saying "thank you", when said genuinely and sincerely, should be...

Whatever age or place you are in life, "start, stop, continue" is a good way to reflect on who you are and where you want to go in life. It's suggested that you should review and think about 1) what should you start doing, 2) what should you stop doing, and 3) what should you continue to do. Starting something can be hard, yet many people begin each year with resolutions such as exercise or eating...

Life is short. What kind of legacy will you leave behind? There are moments throughout our lives we cherish. A friend suggested having a digital picture frame on our desk at work or somewhere in our home that we walk past. Load it up with pictures of moments from activities or of important people. These are what is most important. Be present with those closest to you. Spend time. Talk to each othe...

NPR has a program called "Life Kit". There are some really good advice tips across their episodes. On this episode of LFMK, I share "10 pieces of well-worn life advice you may need to hear right now". Many of the tips are similar to what has been shared in our series. These are good reminders for us to think about things like who we spend time with, how we approach self-improvement, and how tasks...

Have you ever wondered what your dad was like in high school? Do you think about why he chose his career? What was he like as a kid? Kids rarely think of what their parents were like as teenagers. Dads can sometimes be a little more complex. Before your dad is gone, sit down and talk. Ask him some questions. This episode provides a few good conversation starters. You might learn some family histor...

As we get older, we need to be sure to continue to use our brains. According to "Neurology Professors Just Listed the 9 Worst Habits for the Human Brain", there are ways we can keep our brains from shrinking or having cognitive decline. Listen to get a few tips. You might recognize some of the suggestions have also been discussed in our episodes. Thanks for listening.

Sometimes our throats feel raspy (yes, that's a real word). We may feel other symptoms like fever or chills, which might indicate we should visit a medical professional. Other times, a sore throat can come on due to exercising or being around a lot of smoke. There are a lot of ways our body tells us we have an issue, and sore throat is one of the quickest. This episode provides a few tips for prev...

A friend shared a list of "21 skills that will pay you forever". He shares things like this from time to time, and has a similar view of wanting to help others. This list is a good way for us to think about what we say, how we act, and ways to continue learning. People who master these skills can open up opportunities over others. Take a listen, and then take some time to think about what skills o...

Life is going to give you challenges. It's easy for us to run with negative thoughts, yet it's not the best strategy to cope and overcome difficulties. "4 Steps To Take When Life Is Really Freaking Hard" by Gretchen Hydo provides a few tips to help us move forward, learn from the challenge, and get back to happiness. You will have to do some work on things like calming your mind or changing your t...

Jobs are harder to come by for some teenagers. Sometimes you need to create your own work and think outside of the normal fast food or retail positions. For those who are young teens, they may be limited by age as to the jobs they can work. What if you could start a lawn service, babysit, dog walk, or create blog? What if you could buy stuff at yard sales and re-sell them online? You may need some...

Holidays come and go throughout the year. Many holidays may not be well known, such as national spaghetti day or no socks day. No matter where you are in the world, there are holidays to celebrate, including birthdays and anniversaries. How do you celebrate? Do you have traditions? A couple of the best reminders are to remember 1) it's better to give than receive, and 2) presence is more important...

Every day there are things we can do to make our lives easier, as well as help others around us. This episode is about 10 things that require zero talent. The list came from a sign that was for sale on a website. There are other items we could add, yet this list includes some good reminders. For example, being on time. When you are on time, and really this should read "be 5 minutes early", there i...

There is more to driving beyond pointing a vehicle in a direction and pressing the gas. Driving requires responsibility to the vehicle, passengers, as well as to anyone else on the road. Being aware of the people and other cars around you is important, as is understanding what to do in an emergency. Learn what the dashboard lights mean, how to change a tire, where the buttons are for hazard lights...

You are responsible for your words and actions. People will know if they can trust you based on these things. Do your best, ask for help, and know mistakes will happen. What we gain through responsibility are things like how to work with people, how to take care of ourselves, and how to continuously learn. If you commit to something, then follow through. Thanks for listening.

You have one body and mind. Take care of your self with healthy habits. It's important to eat well, exercise, brush your teeth, take showers, and get regular check ups. Disclaimer - Please contact your medical professional for discussions about any concerns or lifestyle changes.

Most leaders have qualities that make them great. "Five qualities that all great leaders share" gives us 5 points found in the best leaders. Allowing your team/employees/students to be themselves is a key. Also, things like being decisive and focused are what most teams and employees look for in their leaders. Listen to hear the full list. Thank you for listening.

This episode was inspired by the New York Times article "Teach Your Kids to Fail". Everyone will fail at things throughout life. It will happen. What we do with the failure is how we will be remembered, or not remembered. Think of it this way, when you fail, do you give up or do you look at changes to be successful? People who are good at something usually fail many times before they figure out ho...

Being frugal is when a person is careful to use only as much money, food, etc. as is necessary. Today we go over a few tips found in an article titled, "37 Brilliant Frugal Living Tips from the Great Depression", written by Everyday Thrifty. Spending time and money on only necessities can be taught whether the country is in an economic depression or riding a financial high. Whether you make an hou...

Your community needs you. Not every job is paid. There are many tasks around your neighborhood, community, state, and country that rely on volunteers. When you volunteer, you are giving your time and skills to help others. For teens, there are groups such as Key Club and Best Buddies programs through the local schools. There are large groups like Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. There are small...

Bonfires can be enjoyable, fun, needed for heating or cooking, but they are also dangerous. It's important to follow the basic steps to determine where to build your bonfire, use proper materials (not flammable liquids), keep at a safe distance, and put out before walking away. There are a lot of good video tutorials online for how to build a quality bonfire. I found a couple of step by step lists...

US workers are known to not take vacations, yet the benefits are numerous. In this episode we talk about why vacations are so important for your physical and mental health, as well as a way to increase focus and productivity. As kids, our schools took breaks. It gave students and teachers time to rest. When we get out into the workforce, companies give workers the ability to choose when to take ti...

Let's start by saying, I'm definitely not a perfect parent. There are lessons each of us learns as we grow up. We learn from our parents, neighbors, grandparents, etc. about parenting, whether we know it or not. As has been said many times...there is no manual. There is a lot of advice. Some is sage and some should be avoided. The bottom line for most parents is we want our kids to be happy, striv...

The internet is full of articles with ideas of how to be happier. I tripped on an article called "10 Surprising Tricks to Be Happier (Without Really Trying)", and thought about how happiness should not be hard to find or take a lot of work to achieve. So the the title seemed perfect, and the list gave some really good ideas for anyone, younger or older, to be happy. I hope you enjoy this episode....

8 Stages of life - Infancy, Toddlerhood, Preschool, Early school, Adolescence, Young adult, Middle adult, Late adult. We can't stop aging, yet we can look back and see where we came from, discover where we are today, and plan for the future. Each stage of life is important. We go through life learning, meeting people, and having experiences. There are ups and downs. How we respond and who we lean...