23 Life Lessons I Want My Daughter To Learn
By Anan Tello
My Little Girl, I know we haven’t met yet, but I’d rather keep you aware of the dangers you might encounter when you arrive on this planet. I would never want you to get hurt the way I did. I want you to be absolutely strong, enlightened and content the moment you take your first breath and let out your first cry, so here are a few tips that will help you survive:
1. God doesn’t want to burn you in Hell; He wants to save you from it.
When you feel like your world is falling apart, know that God has a better plan for you for sure, so hang onto your faith and keep praying.
God is your only shelter and refuge. Believe in Him and know that He’s always there to guide you, protect you and love you. Be with God, and He will never abandon you.
2. Let your wrinkles indicate where the smiles have been.
Smile as often as you can. Once you believe in the power of your smile, you’ll be able to smile storms away. Even a forced smile can slightly lift up your mood and light up your face. Make sure you are remembered for your smile and not your tears because a smile suggests vitality, confidence and love. Beat a heartbreak with the softest of your smiles, confuse your enemies with your smile and make sure the one who falls in love with you first falls for your smile.
3. Pick your friends carefully, don’t accept whatever was on the plate.
Those whom we hang out with are not necessarily friends. They can be colleagues, classmates or neighbors. Friendship is a totally different story. Your friends are not those who keep telling you how much they love you and then disappear when you need them; but those whose actions say it all, and not their words. Those who stand by you and whom you find around when everybody else leaves. Your friends are those to whom you can speak as if you were speaking to yourself, and not those who are judgemental, fake and deceitful.
4. Love life.
You are alive for a reason, and so you must live and love life. God certainly created you for a reason. He has a plan for you. He created you unique and fabulous. If you weren’t so great and meant to do great, God wouldn’t have created you. Love your life, and work hard to make the best out of it.
5. Don’t look to anyone to give you a sense of worth.
You are unique. You are worth more than all the fortunes in the world because God made you, and He loves you. Those who want to make you feel worthless are feeling worthless themselves and need therapy. They might be hurt, evil or jealous, so don’t pay them any attention, you must know your worth. Remember that if you depend on people to make you feel like you matter, you will be disappointed, but God never disappoints anyone.
6. Lady-like behavior is not weakness, and a feminist is not supposed to be mannish at all.
Being a lady means having enough respect for yourself and consideration for others to dress modestly, speak kind words, and maintain self.control even when you’re angry. It’s difficult to be lady.like nowadays, and by being a true lady, you prove to the world that you are strong enough to be who you want to be, and not just a copy of the majority. Femininity means acquiring all feminine traits. Be classy, and not trashy. Be beautiful, and not hot, unless it was for the love of your life..to whom you better be married.
7. You are beautiful the way you are.
Don’t look up to anyone when it comes to looks. You were created uniquely beautiful. Supermodels don’t even look like themselves, and the media may not tell you what is beautiful and what isn’t. Every morning, look into your reflection in the mirror and say, “I am beautiful.” Because you are.
8. Reading is necessary, and it would be best if you turn the TV more often.
Make sure you read every day. Don’t rely on TV. Reading challenges your brain and provokes questions. It helps you create your own opinions while the TV will eventually turn you into a sheeple. Think for yourself, decide what’s best for your life and never be a follower. You were created a free leader, and not a slave.
9. “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” John Lennon.
If you’re truly living, then be sure that life won’t be easy at all. Life is not all butterflies and rainbows. You’ll go through rough times, and you’ll have to survive them because at the other side of every storm, there are beautiful meadows. Know that, if not for hard times, there won’t be any good times. If you don’t go through any hardship, then you will not become the best version of yourself. Tough times build character and teach compassion. Thus, when things seem impossible, or you’re never going to feel better, just know you’ll eventually look back at these times in amazement. Everything will eventually be okay.
10. Love is not a person. It is inside you.
Take your time searching for your soulmate. The person who first captures your heart is not necessarily ‘the one’… not even the second or the third, for love isn’t something someone can give you. It is already inside you.
Love yourself first, and the entire world will love you, and before you find partnership, love your own life because no one else can do that for you.
Don’t rush into love, and don’t feel ashamed to give love. Give love as much and as often as you can. Some of the best moments in life are when you truly connect with someone else and share the love you have inside with them.
11. It’s never too late to live the life that makes you proud and satisfied.
Those who will tell you there is an age limit to anything are losers at life, and want you to be a loser like them.
There’s no age limit on changing your course, and to settle in and be stuck in a life that isn’t authentic is a tragic waste.
This life is yours, and it’s a gift from God, so do whatever you want to do with it, but always remember, you were created to do good, not to hurt others or destroy the planet.
12. “No man is worth your tears, and the one who is, won’t make you cry.”
No one said you had to put up with a man who treated you badly, brought out the worst in you and made you cry.
You can walk out of any relationship that is putting you down and not helping you improve as a person in any way. Yes, it’ll hurt at first, but in a few months, you’ll look back and thank God you are no longer in that place with that person.
If a relationship meant tears, then no need for a relationship in the first place.
13. Marry the man who stands next to you, and not the one who stands in front of you.
Spouses are not supposed to be rivals, but must complement each other. No one said one of the couple must sacrifice at all the times. If any sacrifices were to be made, then they should be made equally. Marry the man who believes your success is his, who cares for you and understands you. Marry the man who works hard to make you happy, is proud of your achievements and believes he is a better person because he is there for you, and you are there for him. Marry the man who uses his strength to protect you and make your life easier, not the one who uses his strength to break you and hurt you.
14. There will be people who will judge you, challenge you and try to break your spirit.
Ignore them. Smile at them. Pity them. Don’t allow those energy.drainers to get to you. Build a shield between you and them, and keep reminding yourself that, if you weren’t unique, successful and fabulous, you wouldn’t have enemies.
15. Never apologize for saying NO.
Say it to boyfriends, bosses and pushy salespeople. Own it… because you are allowed. Don’t think that saying no might make other hate you, if they decided to hate you for being yourself, then you’re better off without them.
16. Never date a man you already know you shouldn’t marry.
Every marriage began with a first date. If you know a man is bad news, if you know you are incompatible, don’t go out on a date with him. Once you fall in love, it’s hard to see clearly where your mistakes are being made.
17. Follow your gut feeling as often as you can.
Your gut feeling might not make sense, but it’s there for a reason, and it’s often..if not always..right, so follow it.
18. Mainstream fashion is bullsh*t.
Have your own sense of fashion and your own style. No one said you had to dress in Armani, Prada or Louis Vuitton.
Wear whatever made you feel beautiful and confident, and no one can decide for you except yourself.
Dress as you please with confidence, and you’ll find many of the people around you trying to copy your style.
19. You don’t need anyone’s approval.
If you think something is right, then it’s right… and if you feel something is wrong, then it is wrong. Don’t allow anyone to decide for you… you don’t need anyone’s approval.
20. No one is perfect.
Not me, not your daddy and not anyone at all. We all try our best, and if other judged or stereotyped you, ignore them… if they were in your shoes, they wouldn’t have judged you.
21. It’s okay to give love.
Don’t hold love back. It’s okay to be the one who shows love more. It’s okay to spread love. There is nothing wrong about radiating love.
We were created to radiate love, and the reason behind most of the killing that’s taking place in this world is hatred.
Spread love and the universe will love you back.
22. Never be afraid to share your passions.
Don’t be embarrassed to share any passion with the entire world. Your passions define your uniqueness, and are an essential part of who you are.
Always remember that anyone who teases you for what you love to do is not a true friend.
23. Life is too short to be with the wrong man, have fake friends, stick to a job you hate and wear shoes that hurt your feet.
Above all, life is too short to be spent away from God.