On her 16th birthday (December 20th, 2016), I gave my daughter Libby a collection of sixteen custom-printed cards instead of a conventional, store-bought card. Each one detailing a hard-earned conviction I’d hoped to pass on to her—convictions passed on to me by some amazing role models I’d met during the first 60 years of my life. I know. This is SUCH a dad thing to do! But my motivation was simple, driven by an ever-present thought: “If I died tomorrow, what would I leave behind for Libby that might help her live the best life possible?” The motivation in passing them on to you is to start a conversation. What are your convictions, beliefs, values? What strongly held ideas do you fall back on to live your best life possible? Let me know! Just click on the leave-a-comment box at the end of this post…
I suppose not all of us think of ourselves as “creative” beings, so let’s amend this to include simple, everyday activities—which also offer sweet spots of just being in the moment. Potting geraniums. Making banana nut bread. Heck, even roughhousing with Fido in the backyard. The trick is, if you’re paying attention to the joyful task at hand, then you’re “flowing” in the right direction.
Next time, #9: “Beware of consumerism.”
Thank you, as always, for your readership, support and engagement! 🙏
Peace & Love,
Mark
P.S. A big shout-out to my good buddy Martin Corbin, the very talented graphic designer who helped me create Libby’s cards and the lovely keepsake package to house them (complete with fancy wax seal).
This is one of my favorites. I’ve got a piece coming on Sunday that you might enjoy—it’s related to your whole series, in a way.