Dear Karta,
Let me start by saying how much I love you. You and your mummy have brought light into my life, lifted me up and made me whole. This is the first of a series of letters that I’ll be writing to you. I hope that you’ll be able to take comfort from these in the future.
I’ve always tried to be a good father, but here is a list of things that I’ve found out about and that you should try to apply to your life.
- Aim to live a wild, generous, full exciting life. Be kind to those around you & see the good in all.
- Follow your dreams.
- Have a few close friends who you see often; their friendship matters more than having many shallow acquaintances.
- Be honest & vulnerable with those close to you. It creates strong bonds.
- Don’t be held back, either by fear or by lack of confidence. GO FOR IT, despite these very normal emotions that we all feel occasionally.
- Build people up.
- Be faithful – any old slime can cheat.
- Smile & laugh more than is considered normal.
- Be loyal – it’s the mark of a man.
- Exercise at least every other day, make it a habit. Then you will shine even brighter.
- Choose your job carefully, do work that excites you. It is where you will spend so much of your time.
- Choose a job that betters peoples lives.
- Don’t be afraid to be weak occasionally.
- Snack on nuts & fruit, they suppress appetite & make you healthy.
- Cheerfulness under adversity is an essential character trait in the game of life.
- Moments of doubt are part of life. Accept them and move on.
- Encourage & help.
- Understand that failure is an essential stepping stone to success.
- Give more than you take, especially with friends & family. See the best in people.
- Compliment people – kind words can change lives & people rarely forget.
- Manners do matter, in fact, they make the man.
- Remember that how you speak about others speaks loudest about yourself.
- Be the most enthusiastic person you know.
- BE GENTLE.
- Consider others better than yourself.
- Be exceptionally kind, thoughtful & generous to those who are overlooked in life; this is the measure of a real man.
- Be courageous in critical moments.
- Put 10% of your income aside & give that money to those in need, whether friends or charities. You have the power to save lives.
- If supply is short, then look for something to give away. It is a universal law – to receive, you must first give.
- If you want to see the real man, give him power over people & see what he does. Remember this in how you treat people.
- Be kind to those whom others neglect.
- Speak generously about people.
- Sometimes it is worth losing a battle to win the war.
- Help friends & family in need.
- Don’t lend money; instead, give it.
- Say “why not?” rather than “why?”.
- Always be on-time, never late.
- The people to be nicest to in life are your wife & your children; give them the most time, energy & love, and you will be a happy man.
- Spend more time with your family & less at work. No one on their deathbed says they wish they had spent more time in the office.
- Marry only for love.
- Lead by example.
- Try to hold a person’s hand when you listen to them.
- Don’t lie.
- No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.
- You have two ears & one mouth, use them in proportion; listen twice as much as you speak.
- Don’t better peoples stories.
- Always look people in the eye.
- Have a firm handshake.
- When you ring someone, first ask them if it’s a good time to talk.
- Don’t be afraid to be quiet & let others shine.
- Treat others as you would like to be treated.
- Be extra cautious if mixing business with friendship.
- Pride comes before a fall, so let others win. There is room for everyone to do well.
- Be ambitious, think big & take calculated risks.
- Be open, honest & fair in all of your dealings.
- It’s okay to be weak, with less of you there is more room for everything else.
- When you’re right, shut up, and when you’re wrong, admit it!
- BE THE FIRST TO APOLOGISE!
- Enjoy the silence.
- Make a little time to be quiet by yourself every day and just be.
- Crying is healthy.
- Always hold hands with those you love whenever you have the chance.
- Learn a few clean jokes & a good card trick.
- Laugh at yourself.
- Learn to play an instrument.
- Always show your gratitude.
- Don’t go into battle unless it is absolutely necessary, to turn the other cheek takes great strength and courage.
- Swim in rivers and the sea, be spontaneous, it’s fun!
- Watch a sunrise occasionally.
- Make people smile every day.
- Know that I love you and am always with you, and oh so proud.
All of my love to you, now and forever.
Daddy.