Jennifer Pastiloff, L.A. area yoga teacher and motivational speaker, wrote a blog entitled 10 Rules for Daily Living. She challenged her readers to think about their personal rules for daily life. Here is one of her favorite responses from a 14-year-old:

Don’t take things too seriously.
Make fun of yourself (but not too much!)
Sleep in sometimes.
ALWAYS have a dog.
Be nice to everybody because you never know who is going to be your next best friend.
Just don’t wear shoes sometimes.
Go on a trip somewhere at least every year.
Don’t look in the mirror too much!
Don’t spend too much money on one thing.
Sometimes it’s OK to just not want to talk to people.

We can gain wisdom from listening to youth! As we mature, our aim is to move from rules to relationships. Loving and trusting relationships filled with open and healthy…