80 Things I Want to Teach My Sons

1. You are not better than anyone, no one is better than you. 
2. Don't call her "hot" it sounds trashy. She's either beautiful or pretty... sometimes cute.
3. Act, don't react. 
4. There are things you think and things you say. Try not to mix those two up.
5. Don't ever assume people will care enough to know why you do what you do. 
6. Always care about why others do what they do. 
7. Beauty should never be mistaken for goodness. 
8. If you're not comfortable talking about it, you shouldn't be doing it. And that goes for everything you could possibly think of. 
9. The world gets small quickly when you're rude.
10. Do not allow any girl to manipulate you sexually. You are not you're body, you can say "no," and you deserve better than that. 
11. Don't be a sore loser.
12. Be classy, always be classy. 
13. Be moral in all aspects of your life. 
14. The only debt worth acquiring is that made in the pursuit of education and travel.
15. Know someone is always watching. If you want to keep it hidden, don't do it. 
16. People remember you by how you made them feel, act accordingly. 
17. Don't get tattoos, you'll be wrinkly and regret it one day. Appreciate how perfectly beautiful your skin is naturally.
18. Laugh. 
19. Don't be afraid to ask for help. 
20. Just because society tells you that being a man is hard to define, don't believe them. Being a man is kindness, selflessness, and taking care of yourself and others. 
21. I know it'll bother you, but really those girls laughing over there aren't laughing at you so don't worry about it. It's far more likely that they like you and it's bursting out of them in the form of awkward giggles. 
22. When you find a woman you wish to understand because you find her interesting and intriguing, not confusing, marry her.
23. I married your father so you would know how to be a good man. Just so you know. 
24. Life is not about "the chase" it's about being good to people.
25. Do not manipulate a girl's desire to be loved.
26. Hanging out may seem easier, but it's only going to make your life more difficult. Girls like boys who want to date.
27. You can appreciate the appearance of a woman, but learn to look beyond what she looks like. 
28. Take responsibility for your actions.
29. Don't waste time with "fun things" use your time building your character and your mind, you'll be happier and more self-assured if you do. 
30. If you're not trying you're not living. 
31. Wholly avoid alcohol, tobacco, 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. 
32. 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. 
33. Be a gentleman. 
34. Marry a lady. 
35. If she isn't your wife, don't have sex with her. Just don't. 
36. Only say "I love you" when you mean it. 
37. Stay away from porn. 
38. Anger is a cover emotion. Feel what you're feeling, deal with it and move on. 
39. Don't worry so much what others think of you. 
40. It's fine and good to have fun with your buddies, but come home and be home. 
41. Let the women in your life rant, she doesn't want you to fix anything, you don't even need to respond with much more than an "I'm sorry, that sucks." 
42. The best way to find yourself is to create yourself.
43. Open the door for people. It's respectful. 
44. When you think a nice thought about people, let them know. 
45. Don't be too hard on yourself. Give yourself some slack. 
46. Don't be too easy on yourself. Expect great things and you'll get great things. 
47. Handle failure with graciousness on the outside and kindness on the inside. 
48. Be generous with your time and your money, both will be more valuable to the receivers than to you. 
49. You're much smarter than you give yourself credit for. 
50. Be an explorer. Don't sit and play video games all day. Go play in dirt, snow, and sand. Hike, bike, play, discover. Always. 
51. It's okay to cry, and it's okay to prefer crying when you're alone. 
52. Never wear your pants in such a way that your underwear can be seen. 
53. Don't swear, it's classless. AND DEFINITELY DON'T SWEAR IN FRONT OF WOMEN. 
54. Learn to do the dishes, the laundry and how to clean bathrooms.  
55. Find your passion and believe you can make it work for you.
56. Protect the women in your life, even if they claim to not want you to. 
57. It's harder to take a punch than throw one. 
58. It'll be easier to be the guy who thinks women are dumb or irrational. It'll be easier to make fun of women than build them up, especially when there are other men around. But don't. It's unkind and if you become anything in this life, I hope you become kind.
59. Don't care more about a virtual world than the physical world. It's really not more interesting. If you think it is, you're living wrong. 
60. Don't buy the belief that "you'll never understand a woman, just love her anyway." Being understood is far more wonderful than being loved. It's not impossible to understand another person. 
61. Learn how to provide. Money is important, but don't think that providing money for your family is more important than giving yourself to them. 
62. Avoid debt as much as possible. 
63. Please know that the TV is not the most important thing in the world. 
64. I said it before, I'll say it again: Stay away from porn. People will tell you it's normal and that everyone does it. But it's not normal, it's hideous and disgusting. It destroys marriages, families and any sense of normality. It is the very enemy of your happiness. 
65. Athletics are great. Work hard, run hard, be a team player, but at the end of the day have other dreams, other passions and other interests. 
66. Treat your family like they're your friends and love your friends like they are family. At the end of the day they are all the same. 
67. Serve a mission to serve the Lord, not because you think it's what I want or what society tells you to do. Go for the right reasons or don't go at all. 
68. Cry when you're sad. Cry when you experience pure happiness. If you don't, you'll have a raging headache and you'll miss out on life-altering experiences. 
69. Feel things as they come. Don't numb yourself to pain, disappointment or grief with substances, sex or anything else. Let the emotions come full force. Feel them. You'll heal faster. 
70. Don't think that nice guys finish last. Being nice matters. Be nice and look for nice. 
71. Don't let society structure your ideal of beauty. Decide for yourself and worry not what others may think.
72. Play in the mud, as a baby, a child, a teen and an adult. Run through it. Tackle people in it. It'll wash off, so why not? 
73. Be interesting. Live your life, travel, write, read, speak up, listen. Don't vegetate your life away. 
74. Don't waste your time with jealousy. 
75. Life isn't fair. It won't make sense, you won't get "what's coming to you" unless it's something bad. 
76. Nothing good "just happens." 
77. Play with your sisters and with your female cousins. Learn to play with Barbies and doll houses-- it's good for you. 
78. If you learn something new, tell someone else about it. 
79. Drink a lot of water. Don't drink so much soda. 
80. Don't be afraid of death, it isn't the end.