The Gift's Rules to Live By

I don't have a child.  I don't have one on the way.  But, here are some rules I try to live by and some things I definitely plan to pass along to any male heirs (or nephews).

Note: I put this together over night.  It is obviously a work in progress and it's sure to change.  I will try to keep you all updated.  Suggestions completely welcome!
Note 2: I'm a guy.  This list is shifted towards boys/men.  If any of my females readers would like to submit their own version, I'd be glad to post it!

In reverse order:

20) Always open and hold doors for women. Chivalry really does never go out of style.

19)  Use your turn signal, damn it.

18) Spacing. The key to driving is good spacing.

17) Clothes don't make the man... but they sure help with first impressions.

16)  Never throw the first punch… But always throw the last! Unless someone of authority is coming. Then play innocent.

15)  Work hard, Play harder.

14)  Learn to cook. You’ll never go hungry and you might just impress a girl or 2.

13)  Your family are the people you love. The people you care about. The people that care about you. Sometimes that has nothing to do with blood.

12)  Gifts are not just for special occasions. Neither are kind words.

11)  Respect not fear.

10)  Make it count… whatever you do go all in or don’t bother…

9)  Friendships are 2-way streets.

8)  Quality over quantity when it comes to friends.

7)  You'll make millions of memories in your life... let the bad ones go.

6)  Make mistakes. Make lots of mistakes. Learn from them.

5)  Regrets are natural. Letting them define you is not.

4)  Never lie to yourself.

3)  Don’t put the “P” on a pedestal. But worship the woman to whom it belongs!  (this is unisex, by the way.)

2)  If you ever feel alone or that no one in the world can understand what you’re going through, turn on the radio. There’s someone singing about it right now.

1)  Religion is choice... being a good person is not!



* I'm not going to lie and say I fully live by these "rules", but I try.  And at the end of the day I'm pretty proud of the man I've become!  A huge thank you to all those who've helped me understand and helped make me who I am.. Noteably my parents and one Ryan L. (my personal positivity coach).