1. First and foremost, I am glad that my mother taught me about GOD. No matter how stressed life gets, I know that I can just turn my problems over to Him.
2. My Mom has a knack for HONESTY. With or without tact, my mother will always give her honest opinion.
3. She taught me how to LOVE myself first, which will make it possible for others to love me too.
4. Dare to be different, she always instilled in me! My mother used to tell me before school, “Dare to be a Daniel. Take the road less traveled.” I used to frown, but now I am glad she made a leader out of me. Even if I was standing alone, I would stand for what I believe in. Popularity was never a big deal in my mind, because I am comfortable in my own skin.
5. Always be open to LEARN new things. “Learn baby learn,” was her motto. Now, with the tech world changing rapidly, I am able to adapt quickly because I am constantly learning from different sources. I must also add, my mother taught me not to only practice continually, but to learn from my experiences, to glean new lessons when I make mistakes and learn from my weaknesses.
6. Learn from others’ mistakes as well, not necessarily your own. While EXPERIENCE can be the best teacher, sometimes learning from others is the wisest and quickest ways to learn a lesson.
7. Don’t ever be too busy for your children; they are the ones who will need you most. Spend time with the people you love because RELATIONSHIPS are what MATTER in this world. Children will keep you honest. If want an honest opinion, ask your child.
8. Be PATIENT. Do not get overly anxious, too flustered, or viciously angry because something isn’t going as planned. The road often gets rougher before it becomes smooth. Consider the hurricane she would tell me, in the middle of its turbulence, it is calm in the eye of the storm.
9. SAVE your money for a rainy day, because there may not always be plenty. I laugh when she said, “Don’t act like the little money you have is burning a hole in your pocket.”
10. DREAM. Keep a goal in mind at all times, and then you will always have something to live for. One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”