Check out this article from @nytimes. Because I'm a subscriber, you can read it through this gift link without a subscription. nytimes.com/2023/09/18/obi…
I wrote about @99RanchMarket coming to Westwood, and how it signals a cultural shift for westside Los Angeles, which has long had a reputation for being a Chinese food desert. Features observations from the esteemed @chandavkllatimes.com/california/sto…
43 common-sense life lessons to teach your kids so they grow up healthy, wealthy, and wise:
1. Don't type anything you wouldn't want printed on a billboard.
2. Money can't buy happiness. But it can buy the time to find what makes you fulfilled.
3. Most people fail because they quit. The rest fail because they never even try. Never let fear of failure keep you from trying.
4. Mistakes are lessons in disguise. Everyone makes mistakes. Winners learn from them.
5. The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. If you want something, work for it.
6. There will always be rainy days. Always be prepared for a down time, because there will always be another one.
7. Every down is followed by an up. When you're feeling down, rest assured all you have to do is keep going. You'll be up again.
8. When someone tells you who they are, believe them the first time.
9. When someone does something kind for you, express gratitude. No exceptions.
10. Kindness comes from strength. Niceness comes from weakness. A nice man needs something. A kind man has everything he needs.
11. Closed mouths don't get fed. Nobody can read your mind. Winners know what they want and aren't afraid to express it.
12. People are ultimately self interested. You can use this for good or you can use this for evil. Use it for good.
13. Loyalty is more valuable than gold. If someone sticks with you in your down times, never lose that relationship.
14. If you're being criticized, it means one of two things: you're winning, or you're being a jerk. Make sure you know the difference.
15. The loudest criticisms will always come from below. But if you get criticism from above, make sure you're listening.
16. A happy life is built by asking yourself "am I proud of how I acted today?" and making sure the answer is always yes.
17. If you can't change it, if it's in the past, if it's out of your control: put it out of your thoughts.
18. Don't let your happiness depend on something others can take away.
19. Don't put all your happiness eggs in one basket. Have multiple things that make you happy.
20. Happiness can be defined as sustained fulfillment. Sustained fulfillment requires sustained improvement.
21. When you hold a resentment against another person, the only person who feels it is you.
22. You don't forgive people for them, you forgive them for you.
23. The early bird catches the worm. This doesn't mean you have to wake up early. It means you have to act quickly when you see an opportunity.
24. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. He'll drink when he's thirsty. Layers to that.
25. Many hands make light work. A good team is far better than the sum of its parts.
26. Every action has consequences. You'll always reap what you sow, eventually.
27. If you're unsure what to say, stay silent.
28. If someone gossips to you, they'll also gossip about you.
29. If you want respect, earn it.
30. Your mother and I love you unconditionally. But no one else in this world will. Act accordingly.
31. Never be too predictable. Mystery begets intrigue. Intrigue begets devotion.
32. Where there's muck, there's brass. The best opportunities come from getting our hands dirty.
33. There are 2 kinds of people in this world. People who clean up trash, and people who watch other people clean up trash. Be the first kind.
34. The measure of a man is how he treats people who can do nothing for him.
35. Time waits for no one. Every second you waste is one you'll never get back.
36. If you're feeling down, create something. If you can't create something, help someone.
37. Empty vessels make the most noise. Those with low ability overcompensate with bravado.
38. A rushing stream gives clean water for life. A stagnant pond just breeds mosquitos. Never stop moving, always stay active.
39. Don't cross bridges you haven't gotten to yet. Don't fight giants that don't exist. Don't solve problems you don't have.
40. Pride comes before the fall. If you're feeling prideful, be weary. A humbling experience is likely right around the corner.
41. If someone tells you something's free: it's not.
42. Learn people's names. They'll love you for it.
43. If someone calls you a horse once, ignore them. If someone calls you a horse twice, refute them. If someone calls you a horse 3 times, buy a saddle.
If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. I write these to share with my own kids, and I hope they're helpful for other parents out there.
Which lesson is your favorite? Which do you disagree with? What lessons would you add?
Post them in the comments
In a 1992 interview, Marian Wright Edelman was asked what she would like to tell her own children about how to find meaning amidst a world where we are bombarded with materialistic views.
The list of values she shared over 31 years ago rings as true today as it did back then:
• "My basic message to them first is that I just love them more than I can ever say. And there's nothing they can ever do or say that can ever take away that love."
• "As they leave home, I go with them in my prayers and they are never alone."
• "Despite the messages of this culture which say that life is about things, about acquiring, about fame, and about prestige that's not really what life is about.
What's really important is caring for other people and trying to leave the earth better than you found it. It's about things inside that matter."
• "Despite what they say about success, what success really has to be, what my father and mother taught me is about serving. That serving is the rent that everybody pays for living.
Those with extra intellectual and material gifts have an obligation and a responsibility and a privilege of reaching back and helping others."
–– Thought #1
As I watched this interview and listened to Edelman's speak, a single line in that last point stood out:
"Serving is the rent that everybody pays for living."
If we're not striving to serve others, to make the world a better place, to share our gifts, our talents, and ultimately give back, what's the point?
To use Edelman's words, it's not only an obligation, it's a privilege.
Bob Marley once said: "The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires but in his integrity and in his ability to affect those around him positively."
–– Thought #2
As you go into a new week ask yourself:
What gifts have you been given?
How can you use them to lift up those around you, to teach others, to improve the life of someone else, and in turn your own?
If you enjoyed this, follow me @blakeaburge for more.
Warren Buffett is worth $100 Billion and has a FREE children’s cartoon on Youtube where he teaches about:
• Money
• Investing
• Personal Finance
• Entrepreneurship
There are 26 episodes, and Warren Buffett voiced his own character!
This show is FREE and can be found on Youtube!
I've wanted to have a nuanced conversation about anti-Blackness among Asian Americans. I've also needed to reflect on anti-Asian hate, including in Black communities. I got to do both w/ a Korean American director who opens a crucial dialogue in a new doc
huffpost.com/entry/liquor-s…
There’s one tiny beef I have with JOY RIDE and that’s this: In it, Deadeye—played by the amazing Sabrina Wu—wears a BOOTLEG @EWPlayers IT’S AN HONOR JUST TO BE ASIAN shirt.
I just convinced EWP to reopen the campaign so you all can buy the real thing!
bonfire.com/its-an-honor-t…
What happens in the days after you die?
It will be horrible for your loved ones.
I just learned about something you can do to make that easier for them:
The Green Box Exercise.