Happiness comes from within. You are made out of happiness, love, and joy. All you need to be happy is within you. People tend to seek happiness outside of themselves. We have all been found guilty of it. Food, sex, games, drugs, alcohol, relationships, hobbies... Do not mistake pleasure for happiness.
Don't be afraid to fail. Don't be afraid to appear foolish or silly. If you do, you will miss so much. You deserve to experience all the world has to offer you. You don't need approval, you are good enough.
Commit. Commit. Commit. But recognize when something is not right for you and have and courage to let go.
If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, accept it.
Do not dwell. Dwelling on the past or future gets you nowhere. Reflect, learn from mistakes, and move on. Do not regret, it's exhausting and poisonous. Don't waste your energy.
Trust your instincts. Do not put yourself in unhealthy or dangerous situations because you don't want to offend someone or are too afraid to say no. Some people act like fools, do not follow their lead.
Eat healthy. Healthy, whole food will make your life wonderful. Try new food at least 10 times before you decide you don't like it. Your father will be a better teacher when it comes to food and adventuresome eating, but I promise not to expect you to explore new foods alone. I will put my picky eating aside to be the best example I can for you. Your taste buds will gradually adjust to what you continue to taste. If you don't like a food one way, try it prepared another way.
Listen. Not just to the words, but the meaning behind the words.
Do not attach yourself to your possessions, your thoughts, your hobbies, your ideologies, your job, your feelings, your likes and dislikes. These things do not define you. Believing that they do only causes suffering and prevents you from seeing the truth.
Ask questions.
Be active. Go outside. Have fun. Spend time in nature. Einstein said, "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." What's more fun than playing video games, watching tv, and surfing the web? Real life interaction, tossing a ball with a friend, swimming, climbing something, building a fort, exploring the world you live in.
Spend time alone. Do not be afraid of loneliness. Learn to be content by yourself.
Meditate. Do yoga. Find what brings you back to center, what grounds you, what brings peace, and do that.
Be okay with discomfort. Instead of feeling discomfort and immediately trying to find a way to escape, whether it's distracting yourself with friends, lovers, food, activities, or books. Become okay with not feeling okay. Avoiding discomfort is very common mistake. Learning to be still and let the discomfort exist and pass through you will change your life. I promise.
Accept change. It is life's only constant. Holding onto things that must be released only causes suffering.
Do not react. Do not let your emotions rule. There will be things that fill you with anger, frustration, sadness, or frankly, just make you want to light someone on fire. But do not react from those emotional states. Ground yourself, find your center, and approach difficult situations or unaware people with compassion, strength, and kindness. It's not always easy, but it gets easier with practice.
LOVE. The most important thing you can do for yourself and the world is to love with all your being. Friends, family, strangers, people that annoy you, assholes, animals, plants, communities. Love everyone, but most of all love yourself.
...and never forget. I will always and forever love you with all that I am.
xo
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