Guiding Your Family to a Better Year

I want to share with you something that I came up with when I was pregnant with my first child.

As I decorated the nursery with books and art that reflected who I wanted my child to be, I thought about what I valued in life and the core beliefs I hoped to instill in my children. I ended up writing four core principles – gentle reminders of the ideals that would help guide them through life’s twists and turns.

They became our family’s guiding principles, printed and framed in each one of our rooms.

I’ve included the poster here, so you can print it out for your own home, if you like. Or make your own guiding principles. Think about what you care about most, and what traits you want your children to carry on from your life experiences.

From time to time, we all need reminders about how we should treat others and what our driving force should be.

I hope you and your families are gently guided through this Happy New Year!

Our Guiding Principles

Do what makes you happy, makes you smile and feel alive. Let happiness guide the decisions you make in life, so long as that happiness is balanced with responsibility.

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Love freely and with all your heart. Don’t be afraid to give or receive love for it is one of the most precious gifts we can experience. Love yourself – focus on your strengths not your faults.

Respect and be kind to yourself and to others. Treat others as you want to be treated. Every person experiences life in a different way, try to understand and have compassion for their point of view.