10 Life Lessons I Learned Playing Grown-Up

For me, growing up has been more difficult than I had ever anticipated. It appears that I may not be as far along as I had originally thought. Some of the first things to go when I started playing grown up was riding a bike, jumping on a trampoline and running down hills. I've realized that complaining more, forgiving less and focusing on making money over making friends are all worse things than having cooties.

I've chosen to start reversing those errors in the past two years, though I'll admit I have used our trampoline more for afternoon naps than I have for jumping. That makes me happy.

I present to you my top 10 list of life's simple lessons that I've learned while playing grown-up. I hope that you will find one of them useful in in your life even if you're not running full speed down a hill.

1. Love out loud, love dangerously and remember to forgive more times than you choose to love. Much love is required in order to forgive.

2. Sing often and dance with reckless abandon. Never let anyone tell you you're singing too loud without asking them to sing along. Then it won't matter.

3. Color your opinions with crayons, people understand crayons. Start a coloring book and advance from there. Be brave enough to work outside the lines, lines are only a guide.

4. Help make someone's wish come true. We all have the power to grant somebody else their fairy tale ending. Risk it!

5. If you haven't used that wall in over a year tear it down and use the bricks to build a bridge. We all need more connection and less isolation.

6. Define happiness in so many ways that you loose track of them. Write them down, you will be surprised. Start with, Happiness is...

7. Tell your own story, write it on your terms and make your character the bravest one in all the land. Somebody has to.

8. Perform random acts of planting whenever you feel sad. You'll be amazed how much joy a flower garden of despair will bring.

9. Loose control of the garden hose every once in awhile because getting soaked has an amazing way of making you feel ageless and produces uncontrollable laughter.

10. Don't forget to leave the lights on, there's too much darkness in the world already. But there's no such thing as being afraid of the light.

I encourage you to leave a comment. Mr. Besilly

Comments

[julie]

This is good advice...cuz, c'mon, you are the biggest kid I know. And, I remember your totally cool bike, circa '73.

[Arianna]

Thank you!
This is inspiring and very thought provoking....
Thank you for exemplifying all 10 of these lessons you learned as I have been privileged to receive from you the joy of a lifetime of true friendship and watching you grow up as an adult.
I love you, Mr. Besilly!

[jasmine]

I was just looking for a life lesson for my english speech but I'm glad I stumbled across this page it has reminded me of a lot and taught me even more. Lessons 1 and two are my favorites! =D