In a sentence that chubby, bowl-cut, 14 year old me would never think I’d utter… here it is: my wife and I are pregnant! Well… she’s pregnant. I did that to her, after a whole bunch of trying.

Our little boy is coming on or around November 20th, and I cannot wait. I was fortunate enough to have great life lessons growing up, and I cannot wait to help a next-gen Tempesta be better than a last-gen Tempesta!

Here are some of the life lessons I plan on drubbing into this kid.

You are not always right.

I will not lie… I have often been told by those closest to me that I “always have to be right”. And, frankly, I often am (hahahaha). That said, just because you think you are right, you may not be. Be a man of conviction, but make sure that belief you have is iron-clad. If it isn’t, it’s not worth fighting over.

Be mindful of what you put into your body.

This is something I wish I didn’t do. I ate like garbage as a kid, and frankly I don’t do great today. Soda? Treat, at best. Fast food? If you have time for that, you have time to grab a salad at a 7/11. Start early. Program him right.

Floss.

Seriously. Just do it. You’ll get tired of hearing the dentist moan.

Today’s music is great. Yesterday’s music is SO MUCH BETTER.

I love pop music. But when I was a kid, I also loved Queen and The Beatles. I plan on opening his eyes to all of it.

Don’t fall for marketing (the Apple rule).

Everyone is trying to sell you something for as much as you are willing to spend. You’ll see people all around you doing it. Don’t let that be why you do it. Be it drugs, operating systems, or skydiving. Be your own person, make your own path, and for the love of God don’t you dare bring an Apple computer into this house.

Have an open mind.

Having beliefs is fine. Be it Christian, Jew, Muslim or Athiest. Republican or Democrat. Coke or Pepsi. White or Black. Approach everything in your life with an understanding of not only how something makes you feel, but an empathy to understand how it can make other people feel. Know that the person next to you may be raised differently than you, may not have come from the same (hopefully) loving and nurturing family as you. Not everyone is like you. And that is a good thing. Differences are what make this world interesting, and bridging those differences are what keep this world from ending.

Don’t be a financial idiot.

401k. Match that crap. Max out the contribution as early as possible. It’ll suck, but you won’t miss it and when you are in your 60’s you’ll be more than fine. Credit card? They are fine – as long as you can (and do) pay it in full IMMEDIATELY after spending the money. Get the points. Give them NO interest. Fly for free.

The New York Yankees are the living embodiment of evil.

Self-explanatory.

If you smoke, I will kill you before cancer does.

Also self-explanatory.

Finally, cope.

Something I am getting better at. Someone at school might not like you. Heck, the whole school may pick on you. Treat them well. Don’t be a pushover, but don’t be a punk. You may not get the girl you want when you want her. You may not get the job you want when you want it. You may not get picked to host the talent show. You may not get to play all six innings in little league. You may not get the car you wanted. But you know what? Struggle creates a far better story than immediate gratification. The girl will come (or guy, it’s 2016). You’ll land a better gig. Everyone at your school that thought you were a nerd will be bringing you in for a selfie at your reunion. Learn how to pick yourself up, and carry on. Everything happens for a reason. You may not know that reason for days, weeks, years… but it does.

Me We.