5 principles

For Father's Day last year, my dad gave me a little book called "A Father's Legacy: Your Life Story in Your Own Words."
Each page has prompts and lines on which to write (and my dad even typed up his own responses separately for me, which was the best part of the gift), and each night now, I try to fill in a page.

One page in particular asks for the five most important lessons you've learned in life.

I posted a couple already on this blog, but I've finally come up with five. I qualify these because they come up in my thoughts most often, but they'll most likely change. They're a dissimilar bunch, and one or two is still in the testing stage.

My friend John encouraged me to put them up, so these are the five... for now.


"Recall for me five of the most important lessons you've learned in life."

(in no particular order)
1. Recognizing which instincts serve your pride is necessary for humility
2. Be aware of how easily man's efforts tend to diminish perceived reliance on God
3. Have something to say before you go looking for a place to say it
4. Less is more
5. Don't let the search dictate what you're searching for
(This last one has its origins in an illustration class in college. A teacher cautioned us against choosing subject matter based on convenient or attractive photo reference found during the search for an original element in the illustration's sketch.
I've since remembered this precept in light of various decisions that get off-track. It's easy to pursue what's attractive or expedient, and taint the integrity of your original intent.)

That's the list as fast as I could come up with 5 decent ones without thinking too hard.

What's yours??