Wednesday, June 23, 2010

the best advice i've ever gotten...from dad to daughter:

1. Think for yourself, but be willing to learn from others. Be skeptical, but not cynical. Be optimistic, but not naive.

2. Make the world a better place for having been born. You will struggle from time to time making sense of life on this planet. However, you can never go wrong with looking for and acting on activities that will improve the world around you. That's enough meaning to last a life time.

3. Be flexible and adaptable with others, but don't compromise your core values, beliefs, and integrity.

4. Be open with others, but always keep a bit of mysteriousness and your own nobility to yourself.

5. Always be open to new and improved information that may change your mind.

6. Be forgiving of yourself and others. Everyone messes up from time to time. Learn from yours and others mistakes and move on. Too much time can be spent focusing on guilt for our own mistakes and criticism pointed at other's mistakes. Quick spring showers of guilt change our behavior, but torrential downpours of guilt just burden us to the point of paralysis.

7. Be willing to place your pinky outside of your comfort zone daily. Those that do this embrace life and its challenges with optimism; those that don't imprison themselves by their own fears of failure. Every new experience (positive or negative) is a new opportunity to learn and grow. Be brave and push yourself- you won't regret it.

8. Learn as much as you can now because after your mid to late twenties you may never have as much time and energy as you will during your late teens and early twenties. Absorb information and new ideas- this will increase your personal power like few other things can.

9. Don't personalize others' opinions, beliefs, or actions. Everyone is very different. Some will like you; others won't. Some will agree with you; others won't. It all comes from their frame of reference and you can't control that. Be humble, honest, and kind and most decent people will appreciate and like you. Be civil to the others and move on. However, if you find that a few trusting people are giving you similar kinds of feedback- listen and be open to changing your ways.

10. Fill your mind and soul with great music (however you define that). As Neitzche once said, "Life would not be worth living without music."

11. Finding a mate? Don't get too preoccupied with it...it'll just happen. Wait as long as you can. There must be a romantic spark, but don't let that spark or infatuation eclipse the most reliable qualities of a life long partner (i.e. responsibility, hard worker, respectful, intelligent, blah blah...). Always employ the "four season" test. Date for at least four seasons before bringing up any crazy talk of marriage. I hope you are as lucky as I have been in having your mom for my life long partner!

12. Be charitable, kind, and helpful to others. You can't go wrong with these. These qualities make you and the recipient happier. Don't forget to have fun and laugh REALLY hard a few times a day.

Love you,
Dad.

Monday, June 21, 2010

hi summer, i've missed you.

Squeaky swings and tall grass
The longest shadows ever cast
The water's warm and children swim
And we frolicked about in our summer skin

I don't recall a single care
Just greenery and humid air
Then Labor day came and went
And we shed what was left of our summer skin

On the night you left I came over
And we peeled the freckles from our shoulders
Our brand new coats so flushed and pink
And I knew your heart I couldn't win
Cause the season's change was a conduit
And we'd left our love in our summer skin

Monday, June 14, 2010

the trip of the girls

so my mom and i are currently in the lovely but friggin hot desert that is PALM SPRINGS. we decided to take ten days off and head to california for a little girl time! stopping in st george and vegas along the way...here are some pictures of the adventures we've been having...



stopping to stay in st george


swimming at mandalay bay

dinner at the chop house
ehh..haha don't know how that got stuck to my leg...
shopping on el paseo drive

veeeeegas!
i met a mariachi band juuuust like braden :)