A Letter to My Son
Time for the "real facts of life" talk
Son:
That old man there, that’s your great-great grandfather. Your great-great grandmother.
Your grandfather is front row left.
Your grandfather grew up working in the fields, chopping at weeds, picking cotton next to his mother and his brothers and sisters, just like everyone in his neck of the woods.
The old man up there was born in 1880’s just after the Civil War. He saw incredible societal and technological advances in his lifetime.
He lived thru:
A transportation shift from horse power to Detroit power
A shift from intense personal labor to using advanced farm equipment
A dust bowl
Two World Wars
An oil industry boom
He listened to Babe Ruth playing baseball on the radio
He listened to the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial and smiled
He was born and died in the same house.
While he lived he embraced change. Change is inevitable. He didn’t stick to tilling his fields with a plow pulled by his horses. He saved his money and got a tractor. We do not move backwards as a society. Not over the long run, over the long run we move forward. We get smarter - not just as individuals but as a country. It may not always seem so but it is.
I was the first to go to college in my family. You are a part of the second generation to graduate.
Congratulations.
But you are not your relatives. You will need to hack and carve your own path through. As fast as things moved for your great-great grandfather they are moving faster today. Nothing will slow down. So grab on and go.
And although they might not recognize all of the challenges you face their advice would be the same as was passed on to me.
Purpose - Define yourself. Decide now, before the tough times come, what you believe and what you stand for. Some use religion. Others philosophy. Some create their own personal credo. Pick one or create one but understand the values you wish to live by.
Money - Some will tell you that money can’t buy happiness. They are wrong. You don’t need a lot of money to be happy but you do need money. You need a good relationship with money. Respect it. Don’t spend before you earn. Don’t be a collector of things; invest. The things that money can buy won’t make you happy. True freedom is a life not dependent on money.
The Body - Your body can take a lot. You have youth and strength. But you have to respect your body. And while you won’t always be young you can be strong. Eat right. Sleep right. Exercise right. Make it a habit. Take care of your body and it will take care of you.
Opportunities Abound - Opportunities are a result of education - self-education must be a lifetime pursuit - and work. Keep working and learning. Try. Fail. Learn. Adjust. And try again. Don’t worry about missing out. If you keep working other doors will open. And if they don’t, make one, and go on through.
Be Bold - It’s your life. Live it.
That’s it. That’s not all there is to life but that’s all the advice. The rest you will figure out for yourself.
Think About It…
Have you changed the combination on your suitcase lock? Changed the default settings on your computer?
Likely not.
In the U.S., about 40% of drivers have checked the box to have their kidneys carved out in case of an accident. In Europe, when you get a license, you are automatically enrolled in the organ donor program. If you want to keep your organs you have to opt out of the program.
99% of Europeans are registered as donors.
Why?
We’re lazy. Or efficient, depending on how you look at it.
But you can use it to your advantage.
Set the desired action as the default.
Want to save more. Have it automatically deposited in a savings or investment account. It’ll add up quickly. You won’t change it. It’ll just grow.
If the house is full of healthy foods you’ll eat healthy food. You won’t go out of your way to get a Big Mac or a bag Oreos.
You’re efficient.
It’s not lazy
Do It….
This week let’s only eat what we make. I’m not talking about going out and hunting for dinner but standing over the stove and cooking. My first dinner will be:
Need something to watch? And cook?
Try this:
Be rolling out some new reading lists next week. Let me know how your food week goes.