Lesson 1: Make Your Bed

After graduating from high school I attended a one-year Bible Institute before moving on to college. I have many great memories from that year: good friends, fun times and some heartbreakers too. But I have to admit that the one item of advice that left the deepest impression on me that year was given by an elderly lady named Eldine Shaw. Her words still come to mind nearly every morning when I rise and have taught me diligence in everyday menial tasks and to take pride in my home. She repeated the mantra to us insistently, printing it into our subconscious: "Make your bed everyday out of self-respect." I admit that occasionally a day goes by that I fail in this minute detail. The lesson, however, remains: diligence, self-discipline and self-respect begin with small things.