101 Life Lessons According to Dad

By H Thorp Minister

As most divorced couples know -- with kids in the mix -- it is very difficult to have a positive influence on a child particularly when dad lives out of state -- far removed from the rigors of the day to day challenges of raising a child. My original plan was to write one life lesson each week and mail it to my daughter for her to read, study and keep for future reference. Sort of like homework with dad yet still be educational and fun in the process. I wrote my first Life Lesson on June 28, 2011. After many revisions, the book was completed a year later. At the time, I would hand write the Life Lesson on a legal sized piece of paper and photocopy it at the local Post Net store and send the original to my daughter Kelsey in Seattle. I kept the photocopy. After dozens of trips, the young woman working behind the counter, Kate Krutilova, says "You know Thorp, you need to write a book!" I thought about it for a moment and realized she was absolutely right! I finally reached my goal of 100 Life Lessons... Three weeks later another one popped into my head at 3am in the morning... So I ended up with 101! The funny thing about reading this book is that there is no rhyme or reason as to the order in which each Life Lesson is written. It's just what came to me at the time. (That is the great thing about having ADD.) Special thanks to Dr. Victoria Ibric at the Neurofeedback & NeuroRehab Institute in Pasadena, CA. I hope you will find this book entertaining, heart-warming and full of really good tips. Buy one for yourself... Better yet, buy two and give it to someone you care about. Thanks for your support! Enjoy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mira Digital Publishing
• Release date: Mar 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781631102998

Book preview

Daddy

Life Lesson #1

Live Your Life on Your Terms not Someone Else’s

You can watch the parade that is life -- and live vicariously through others, as many do -- or you can get in and participate in your own journey. And the best time to go for broke is when you are already there!

— Jonathan Goldsmith

Life Lesson #2

He Who Pays The Rent Calls The Shots

Until you have the capacity to earn enough money to afford your own place to live, you have to live by someone else’s rules.

Whether you live with Mom or Dad -- one rule always remains the same -- we run a dictatorship not a democracy! In short, he who pays the rent calls the shots. End of discussion.

Life Lesson #3

Learn to Say No to Someone and Not Feel Guilty About it

One of the toughest things to do in life is to tell someone No! There are a lot more takers in the world than givers. Set your boundaries and stand firm. Otherwise, the takers will bleed you dry!

Life Lesson #4

Learn to Make Good Choices

Life is nothing more than making a series of choices --both large and small -- everyday. Make it a habit to make good choices.

Although you may make what seems to be a good choice at that moment in time, chances are you will make the wrong choice 70% of the time. Don’t beat yourself up over this! Remember, an All-Star baseball player bats .300! This means he fails to get on base 7 out of 10 at bats. Don’t be a Monday morning quarterback and second guess your choices. Do the best you can. Sometimes you can’t pick a winner in a two horse race!

There is a fabulous book written by Shad Helmstetter called Choices. Read it! When you’re finished, read it again!

Life Lesson #5

Avoid Making Your Kids Feel Guilty

Make a promise to yourself you will avoid making your child feel guilty. As a parent, nothing is more cruel than using your child as a pawn against a former spouse or ex-lover.

The long term fallout