Bear Grylls - To My Sons: Lessons for the Wild Adventure Called Life

TO MY SONS Published by David C Cook 4050 Lee Vance View Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A. David C Cook Distribution Canada 55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5 David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook. All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the publisher. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.

Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version. Copyright 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible.

New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. LCCN 2011937599 ISBN 978-1-4347-0358-3 eISBN 978-0-7814-0801-1 2012 Bear Grylls Published by arrangement with Alpha International. First UK edition published as With Love, Papa in 2009 by Lion Hudson Bear Grylls, ISBN 978-0-7459-5501-8 The Team: Alex Field, Nick Lee, Renada Arens, Karen Athen Cover Design: Amy Konyndyk Cover Photo: Discovery Communications, LLC Illustrations: Charlie Mackesy First North American Edition 2012 Preface To my sons, the great joy in my life. This little book is a culmination of all that I have learned about the game of life. I have learned these simple truths through many mistakes and many falls.

I have learned them from watching and being around those I love and admire, and I have learned them through the hard times that life sometimes throws at us. I have also learned that what I value most is found close at home: just being with you three boys and your mama. I hope these simple truths help you blossom in the game of life, and I hope they help you follow your hearts and many dreams. I hope they remind you to cherish those close to you and to live boldly and with a smile. You are the most wonderful joy in both our lives, and I could never have imagined such good fortune to be able to hold you close to me so often (although it never seems enough!). I adore you and am oh, so proud of you.

You are the best. With love, Papa The L ORD himself watches over you! (Psalm 121:5 NLT ) Dont worry about anything that is outside your sphere of influenceif you cant change it, dont waste time worrying about it! Relax. You have no need for the common concerns of life. Remember Isaiah: The L ORD will guide you always (58:11). Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. Crying is healthy! Always hold hands with those you love whenever you have the chance. Dont go to battle unless it is absolutely necessaryto turn the other cheek takes great strength and courage. Make a little time to be quiet by yourself every day and just be. Enjoy the silence. Be the first to apologize. Many great people over the centuries have depended on their faithit is a sign of great strength to need Jesus in your life.When youre right, shut up, and when youre wrong, admit it.

Know that I love you and am always with you and am oh, so proud.
Your Papa It is okay to be weakwith less of you there is more room for God. Be open, honest, and fair in all your dealings. Be ambitiousthink big and take calculated risks. Pride comes before a fallso dont be too proud to let others win. There is room for everyone to do well! Be extra cautious if mixing business with friendship. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Dont be afraid to be quiet and let others shine. When you call someone, first ask if it is a good time to talk. Have a firm handshake. Always look people in the eye.Make people smile every day. Thank God for your many blessings; then go out there and blossom. It is okay to succeed! But remember the L ORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). Dont one-up peoples stories. You have two ears and one mouthuse them in proportion: Listen twice as much as you speak!Dont lie.

No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. Preach Jesus every daywhen necessary, use words! That is, love and listen to people.