God-willing, one day I will be blessed with healthy children. Something that I have learned from being raised and surrounded at some point in my life by kids is that parents are merely guardians for their offspring as we are all extensions of God.

Parents are not supposed to impose or control their children but merely guide them in the direction that they see fit. Although not all guardians get this right, I hope that I will one day.

As I look forward at the prospect of having kids, I do so cautiously and will only do so if they have a Father who is stable, emotionally and financially, and who puts family first.

If I am blessed with this opportunity, here are 9 things that I will tell my kids:

1. You are a child of God.

2. Life happens when you decide to move forward.

3. No one owes you anything in life. Go after what you want!

4. Health is a gift. Don’t abuse it!

5. Don’t ever judge someone based on their race, religion or politics. We do well when we can understand people more than condemn them.

6. God is always talking to you, quietly. Are you listening?

7. Not everyone will like you and that is okay. You define you!

8. Surround yourself with people who encourage your growth and support you through your mistakes, growth and evolution.

9. When you break boundaries, you will receive pushback. It’s not personal. Transform the pushback into motivation.