Advice to the boys...

People are passing around the advice for daughters.  I wrote this for my sons this morning:

1.  You will be dead soon.  Act like it.
2.  Find a small way to be kind or helpful to someone every day.
3.  Admit that you don't know something every day and then work to learn about it. 
4.  Tinker with stuff and try to fix things yourself. 
5.  Always be building.
6.  Don't solve other people's problems, but support them in solving theirs.
7.  Take mental health days.
8.  Take care of your body.  This is mostly about food.
9.  Try not to stay physically stagnant for very long.
10. Seek growth through failure and celebrate that you were brave enough to fail.
11.  Recover quickly when you fail.
12.  After an accomplishment or success, move on quickly and don't get complacent.
13.  Remember that almost no one is thinking about you, so stop worrying about what they think about you. 
14.  Be confident, but respectful with women.  That is the most attractive thing you can do.
15.  Always remember that you have brothers that will be there for you long after mom and I are gone.  Be there for them. 
16.  Many times, optimizations come from waiting until the last responsible moment to do things. 
17.  Take your vacation time seriously. 
18.  Challenge yourself to find a life partner that challenges you.
19.  Forgive immediately and sincerely.  Grudges are for losers.
20.  Quit setting goals.  Instead, build systems that you live by every day.  If the systems are working, keep going.  If not adjust.
21.  If you are in a rut, or stuck, just start working on something.  Eventually, the work will get you out. 
22.  Stress kills.  Learn to recognize it, acknowledge it and then push it away.  Find the source of your stress and face it head on.
23.  Let your emotions come out.  It's ok to be happy, sad, mad, excited, scared, intimidated, proud, etc...
21.  Humans are made to work.   Stress and work are totally different things.  Separate them and have fun in your work.
22.  Your real friends are the ones that know you and all your faults and idiosyncracies and then still want to be around you.  Don't put on an unauthentic show because it limits how many real friends you will find.
23. There is nothing you can buy that will make you sustainably happier. 
24.  Find new ways to keep falling in love with your spouse.  There is nothing good that can comes from focusing on their weaknesses.  Challenge yourself to recognize what is awesome about them instead every day (yes, that is a system)
25.  When all else fails, talk it through with Mom or Dad.