100 Things I Want to Teach My Daughters

1. Unless, by some strange turn of events, your father has dark skin that you inherited, sunscreen needs to be one of your best friends. You don't want your pretty face to fall off in a cancerous pile on the floor do you?
2. Home is not a place, it's a group of people.
3. The best way to find yourself is to create yourself.
4. Love is being okay with someone touching you with their feet. Anything short of that is a Hollywood lie and won't last long.
5. The only debt worth acquiring is that made in the pursuit of education and travel. 
6. Reading is never wasted time. 
7. There is a beauty that only exists at 3 am. 
8. If it makes you feel scared and insecure you should probably try it out.  
9. Strong men are never threatened by strong women, so don't worry about making yourself smaller. 
10. Listen to and love Miles Davis' album Kind of Blue. Timeless.
11. Don't be afraid to have your heart broken, it mends well. 
12. Be more invested in your growth than your happiness. 
13. "Nothing is worth it if you're unhappy" is a false idea. Happiness is secondary to joy, love, growth, commitment, loyalty and peace of mind. 
14. Learn a language. 
15. Homesickness is never a good enough reason to come home early. 
16. Perfection is a false hope. 
17. Don't let your mirror boss you around. 
18. Your friends will always make for better therapy than someone you pay. 
19. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and the like are no substitute for a real life.
20. In fact, never get a Facebook, it'll only complicate your life. 
21. Don't ignore sunsets just because there are a lot of them.
22. Caring more about what God thinks of you will always make you happier than caring what other people think of you. 
23. Don't ever let societal constructs of beauty, normalcy, sexuality or happiness trick you into doing things you know aren't right or worth it.
24. The world needs your vision and hope.
25. Be ladylike, it's important.
26. Always be kind to boys, even when you don't think they deserve it. 
27. You have to be you, everyone else is already taken. 
28. Don't cut or dye your hair just because you're bored. 
29. There is a man out there who is looking for someone just like you, so don't worry about trying to fit into a mold that you think guys like. Trust me, you have no idea what they're thinking anyway, it isn't worth the risk. 
30. It's better to dream "too big" and fail than to play it safe and never know. 
31. Failure doesn't mean anything other than "try again."
32. Assume the best but don't be surprised at the worst. 
33. Most people don't know when they've let you down, hurt you or made you question their loyalty.  Give second, third and fortieth chances. 
34. Forgive, forget and adjust your expectations. 
35. Friends are family, family are friends-- treat them as such. 
36. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you, but don't be surprised when they don't. 
37. Be kind to be kind, not to get something. 
38. Sleep on all online purchases over $35. 
39.  Pray before, during and after. 
40. Write down the things you are grateful for everyday so you can always remember how good life is.
41. Don't love things more than your love ideas. 
42. Think first. 
43. There is a difference between being opportunistic and making your life what you want it to be. 
44. Networks will never be as fulfilling as friendships. 
45. Set aside time to create.
46. Surround yourself with positive people. 
47. Ice cream can make it better. 
48. Read your scriptures.
49. Don't worry about being taller than average, it has it's benefits. 
50. Some things can't be analyzed into submission, they just need to work themselves out over time. 
51. Don't avoid silence. Once you get past the awkward feeling is when you find your best thoughts.
52. Being beautiful will not make you happy, so stop worrying so much about it. 
53. You were made with flaws to be unique. 
54. Avoid drugs (including for headaches and colds) at all costs, your body is amazing and rather good at taking care of itself. Don't numb yourself from the the simple physical pains of life or you'll never learn to deal with the emotional stuff. 
55. If you don't know something, ask. Never assume you're alone in your ignorance. 
56. Do what you love. I believe that you can earn money at doing anything you love. There are more options than being a lawyer, businessperson, doctor or teacher. Think outside of the box.
57. When you get to that point in life when you don't know what is true, ask God, no one else. No one, no matter how smart or insightful, knows better than God.
58. If you find yourself in the majority opinion it's time to question yourself and how you got there.
59. Wholly avoid alcohol, tobacco/nicotine, and caffeine. You don't need anything to help you wake up, calm down or ease up. You are 100% capable of doing that yourself, at least until you use alcohol, tabacco or caffeine, then your body will never be your body again. 
60. If you go out into the world and you meet a jerk, you meet a jerk. If you go out into the world and meet nothing but jerks, you're the jerk. Understood? Good. 
61. Never compare your insides to someone's outsides. 
62. Never compare your outsides to someone's outsides.
63. Outsides don't matter. Only what's inside. 
64. Don't focus so much on what you'll be. Focus on who you'll be. 
65. Marriage has 3 phases (so I've been told): 1. Infatuation, the easiest, most infantile phase; 2. Difficulty & Darkness, the phase in which everything that was once cute and wonderful ain't so cute and wonderful; 3. Lasting love, when you love someone for who they are and what they mean to you, not what you thought they were  or wanted them to be. The tough part is making it through phase 2. 
66. Don't be afraid to ask for help. 
67. Don't speak badly of others. You'll lose the trust of everyone and no one in your life will like anyone else in your life, putting you in a pickle. 
68. Admit when you're wrong, and use the words, "I was wrong" it'll make up for a lot. 
69. Don't get tattoos, you'll be wrinkly and regret it one day. Appreciate how perfectly beautiful your skin is naturally. 
70. Laugh. 
71. A testimony is not a travelogue, sermon, or speech. The simpler the better. 
72. Say sorry first. 
73. Confidence (not cockiness) is more attractive than a size 2. 
74. Don't wear too much make up. Mascara and blush is good enough. 
75. Everyone makes mistakes. You're not the first and you won't be the last. 
76. Learn to let stuff go.
77. Don't be afraid to be first at anything, especially the things you hope not to be first in. 
78. There is a big difference between being independent and self-sufficient. It shouldn't be your goal to be "independent." Independence distances you from other people, makes you believe that you are above companionship and the need for love. Be self-sufficient, be able to take care of yourself, but don't be anything with the words "dependent" or "dependence" in it (including co-dependent, etc.)
79. You are not better than anyone, no one is better than you. 
80. Eat to live, never live to eat. 
81. People remember you by how you made them feel, act accordingly. 
82. If he makes you cry anything but happy tears, he isn't worth it.
83. If you don't want to marry a man who will be abusive, manipulative, mean, lazy, two-faced, or insensitive-- don't date someone who is like that. It's that simple. 
84. Don't ever assume people will care enough to know why you do what you do. 
85. Always care about why others do what they do. 
86.  If you're not comfortable talking about it, you shouldn't be doing it. And that goes for everything you could possibly think of. 
87. The world gets small quickly when you're rude. 
88. Go to bed mad; ignore the people who tell you not to. Sleep is a wondrous cure-all.  
89. Learn to say "no" sensitively, but sincerely. 
90. Everything will be okay, even when it's not, it will be.
91. If you're not married to him, don't have sex with him. Just don't. 
92. Don't be a sore loser. 
93. Be classy, always be classy. 
94. Do not worship the rich and famous. Greed is an ugly, ugly sin. Acquiring always leaves you with less. 
95. Diamonds are dirty, no matter how much they sparkle and shine. Don't support the suffering of others for something that will give you a false sense of status. 
96. Be moral in all aspects of your life. 
97. Find a cause to be passionate about and live your life accordingly. 
98. Don't be afraid of death, it isn't the end. 
99. Your place in this world is up to you. Don't let a man tell you it's in the kitchen and the bedroom, but also, don't let "feminists" tell you that it's outside of your home if you don't want it to be.
100. Know someone is always watching. If you want to keep it hidden, don't do it.