I grew up without a father figure in my life. Do you have any general tips and pieces of advice that people should know?

advicefromadad:

Here are my basics:

Learn to cook, and then learn to cook one thing REALLY well. Have a special dish that you can pull out to really impress people. 

Never shop hungry. You will buy so much stuff that you do not need.

If someone says something bad about you, live your life so that no one hearing it would ever believe it.

Learn how to change a tire before you get a flat. It is going to happen, you might as well be prepared. 

Five things you should always have on you:
1-  A knife. I carry a swiss army knife. The blade is great, but the can opener, bottle opener and screwdrivers have come in just as useful.
2- A working lighter. They can do more than light cigarettes.
3- Mints. They are just polite and can be shared with others (Who may not know they need them)
4- A small snack (Granola bar or snack mix…something with sugar and protein). I give more away than I eat, but they have kept me going on more than one occasion. 
5- A $20 bill. This is your emergency money. Do not make it easy to access or you will use it and not replace it. Put it in between your phone and its case, in a metal tube on your keychain.etc…

Remember that when people are a jerk to you, it most likely has nothing to do with you. Something is going on with them. I have a pet lizard that bites me really hard every time I put my hand near it. It is not personal. He is just really scared of things that are bigger than he is. People are pretty much the same. 

Learn how to be still. Meditate daily. Be comfortable in your own silence.

Learn some sort of craft, something that can keep you mildly busy when you need to be distracted. Making somethnig…anything can give you a sense of accomplishment. You have something in your hands, you created it. That feels awesome! I make paracord stuff (And give it away or sell it), but you can do anything from crochet to welding. It doesn’t matter. Just create something. 

Say out loud the things you want to do or accomplish, even if just too yourself. Actually out loud. It triggers something in your head that helps you find opportunities to do that thing. 

Ask before petting someone’s animal. 

That is my basic list. Hope it helped! Let me know if you want more, or something more specific!!