1. Laugh at Yourself.
My mom always taught my sister and I not to be too serious. She firmly believes that laughter is the best medicine, and she taught us that, "the world is hard enough, there's no need to be hard on yourself." She loved to laugh at herself because that's the only way to get through life. So the next time you fall, or say something stupid, choose to laugh instead of getting upset, because getting upset only wastes time and energy; time and energy that could be used laughing!
2. Stand up for those who can't.
Standing up for those who can't stand for themselves is more important than following the rules. My mom was an IEP facilitator. Her literal job was to go in and make an education plan that was best suited to her students' needs. Most of her students were special needs, and sometimes in order for her students to get what they needed my mom would have to go against the teacher, or the principal, or even her boss. When the situation would call for her to stand up she would do it without hesitation, because she was their best chance for success.
3. Speak your mind.
My mom's friends constantly tell my sister and I how much they miss her mouth at the office because she's not scared to say anything. If it's in her head it will soon come out of her mouth. She's the person that says what everyone is thinking. Don't be scared to speak the truth because your friends will have your back. She's bold and fearless and will damn sure put you in your place.
4. Love your friends like you do your family.
My mom has more friends than almost anyone I know, and she would cross the world for any one of them. I can't tell you how many people tell me what a treasure my mom is because she truly loves people with all that she has. She loves people, and accepts them for what they are, she chooses to see the good in people and loves them as if they were part of the family.
5. Be nice.
Being nice doesn't cost anything. There are so many things that you can do to brighten someone's day. Sometimes it costs money and sometimes it simply requires you to smile, hold open a door, or compliment someone's shoes. It doesn't take much, but it makes you a good person, and that's something everyone should strive to be.
6. Don't let people walk all over you.
Being nice is essential to a good life, but there's a difference between being nice and letting people walk over you. My mom always told us to stand up for ourselves, because being nice doesn't mean we have to do everything someone asks of us. There's a thin line and it's important that the line is clear and defined.
7. Do what's best for YOU.
This is one of my favorites. She has always taught us to do what's best for us. Sometimes, what's good for me might not be good for my sister, so we have to make our own decision and decide for ourselves. We'll ask her for advice sometimes and she'll end the conversation by her saying, "I'm not you, I don't know whats best for you." She's always encouraged us to make the decision that's best for us, even if other people don't agree, because in the end we're the only people that have to live with our decisions.
8. Don't care about what people think.
Life is hard, and these days everyone has an opinion. Their opinion shouldn't define who we are as a person, and letting someone else define you is an insult to everything you are. The only opinion you should care about is your own. People will hate on you for anything and everything and you just have to keep telling yourself that you are better than someone's opinion of who they think you are.
9. Be productive.
There's no time to do nothing. Everything you do should in some way or some form be productive. Whether you're productive in your professional life or your personal life, you should always be doing something in order to help advance yourself. Working on your listening skills or finishing a paper is still being productive. It's all about making progress, because that's all you can ever attempt to do.
10. Always do your best.
This one is my personal favorite. Every day before getting on the school bus, my mom would yell at me, "do your best work and be your best person." At the time I might have been a little embarrassed, but now, it's one of my favorite things she has ever taught me. It served as a little reminder every day to simply do my best, because that's all anyone can ever do. It constantly reminded me to do my best in everything I do, whether it's studying, sports or just being a good person. If you do your best, you can't fail.
