A Big List Of Things To Strive To Teach My Kids

One voice can make a difference.
It is easier to stay warm than to get warm.
Keep trying new things.
Avoid violence. If you must fight, hit first, hit hard, and fight dirty.
Never refuse an offered breath mint.
Don’t pray for patience, you may have to learn it.
The Government will lie to you.
Brake before the turn. Accelerate through it.
Respect nature. She is bigger and stronger than you are. She is as beautiful as she is merciless. 
Always cut away from yourself.
Life is not fair. The left hand pays for the mistakes of the right. (see above)
Gravity is a cruel mistress.
Everything fun involves risk. True peace is found when the risks are deemed acceptable. True happiness occurs every time you get away without paying the price.
In shooting, be sure of your target and what lies beyond your target.
Naked is good.
Those with greater skill can be beaten by those who work harder.
Religious fanatics tend to have limited actual knowledge of their religion.
Eloquent words may not be true; nor true words eloquent.
Get in good physical condition in your teen years. The effects will last a long time.
A vocal minority can rule a silent majority.
Pray to communicate with God; not to demonstrate to others how you communicate with God.
Be kind to those weaker than you.
Keep your promises.
When in doubt, keep you mouth closed.
Our military treats its officers one-hundred fold better than it treats the enlisted men and women. 
If the military is in your future, do everything in your power to be an officer… and don’t invade Russia in the Winter. That never works.
It is better to undercook fish and overcook pork than the other way around.
Learn the religion of your community, even if you do not practice it.
If you do not know how, ask.
People love to talk about themselves. Ask a person about himself, and an awkward silence is chased from the room.
Vote.
Learn to give a great massage.
There is no greater force than love.
Make your point, then shut up.
If you listen closely enough, many women will actually tell you what they want.
Some girls like boys who mistreat them. These same girls will want to be your friend, but nothing more. It makes no sense. Push them hard enough and they will break your heart.
You must love yourself before you can enjoy a loving relationship.
I love you.
Pour acid into water, not the other way around.
Keep all your options open long enough, and you won’t have any left. There comes a time when you must commit.
Fanaticism is the most dangerous of all evils.
The lust for power is the single greatest human vice.
90% of everything is crap. Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it is good, or that you have to like it.
Don’t play with mercury.
Don’t try to be popular. Be yourself – your friends will be true friends and their respect will be genuine.
You can not be friends with everybody. Some people will not like you. Their loss.
If you whack your fingernnail with a hammer, pinch the injured nail down hard and hold it for a while. It will hurt a lot, but you will probably save the nail (and prevent a lot of future discomfort).
Be polite to cops. This gives respect to those who deserve it, and the ones who don’t will be more likely to pick on somebody else.
Be brief in your dealings with the police.
Pay your taxes.
Use exclamation points like profanity – sparingly, for effect.
Nothing beats a direct quote.
Encourage cats. Discipline dogs.
The most powerful thing you can be is yourself.
Sometimes it is enough to know that you are right. You don’t always have to prove it.
Admit your mistake and move on to the next one.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Be kind to your mother. 
When you appreciate how little you really know, then you begin to truly learn.
Do what you enjoy, not what others think you should enjoy.
Things always get better. Given time, today’s overwhelming problem will be a mere footnote in your conscience. This is the most important piece of advice I can give you. Remember this above all else.