Simple Advice for Life

These are strange times for sure and it is affecting both young and old alike. In fact, I doubt there is a single person on earth that hasn’t been affected in some way by this ongoing worldwide plague.

For example, last week my 21-year-old grandson graduated from Northern Arizona University. We had planned to drive out there and stay a few days to watch the graduation ceremony and to celebrate his accomplishment. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a graduation ceremony for any of the students and that’s such a shame. I know my grandson, Jared, worked really hard to graduate in only four years, so I wish our family could have come together to show him how proud we are of him.

But since that wasn’t possible, I decided that I should at least write him a letter. I want him to know I’m proud of him, especially since I never finished college myself so I know how hard college can be. But I would also like to give him some advice as he begins his journey out into the real world. It cannot be easy for any young person to be job hunting right now and that’s just one of a hundred hurdles that Jared will have to negotiate as he ventures forth. But what wisdom can a 65-year-old man impart to his grandson that will really help? What have I learned… that I would like to share… with someone I love?

Before I list my advice, I just want to say that I think young people are facing a much different world than I did in the mid-1970s. So I decided to distill my advice down to a few simple suggestions that could apply to any generation. Here they are.

·    You should only drink champagne twice in your life, when you’re in love and when you’re not.

·     When driving always weave a little and the other cars will stay away from you.

·     If you see a bear in the woods and you don’t have time to run, hug it because bears cannot scratch their stomachs.

Okay… sorry… just kidding. My real advice to my grandson is below.

Simple Advice for Life

1. Decide for yourself who you are and what you stand for, and then write it down and refer to it often.

2. Stay in touch with family and friends and do your best to always do right by them.

3. Be honest in your work, fair to those you work for, and good to those you work with.

4. Avoid debt like the plague. Once you start down that slippery slope, it’s hard to stop.

5. Commit to being healthy and remember “all things in moderation” is a great motto.

6. Practice patience, which is especially hard when you’re young, but it will keep you from making a lot of mistakes.

7. If you meet someone who is so awesome that there is absolutely no way that they could ever love you, but somehow they do, then and only then is it okay to consider getting married. Otherwise, stay single!

8. Communication is the single most important factor for success in any relationship.

9. Humility is an extremely attractive trait. Arrogance never will be.

10. Keep in touch with your Creator, make time to read the  Bible, and give thanks daily for your blessings.

Jared begins the ultimate journey

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer... 
but wish we didn’t.

~ Erica Jong