5 wishes for my kids, my ads and my brands

There’s nothing like watching your younger child march off to secondary school to make you a little pensive.

So here are five principles that I hope we follow, as we negotiate the choppy waters ahead…

Is it just me, or do they feel as relevant to brands and advertising as they are to school, families and friendships?

1.    Let us never be afraid to let go.

We’ve created, nurtured and loved these wonderful creatures in order that that they are able to make their way in the world, overcoming obstacles and celebrating all the good things they encounter.

Instead of fearing that fact, we should embrace it.

They’re not ours to control.

2.   Let us keep on learning

For any child, questioning and exploring is as instinctive as breathing. And yet as we grow, we stop doing this.

Too often we close things down rather than open them up. We like a simple answer more than another question. And most of all we like to feel like we know best, that we have the solution.

The only way to be and stay smart is to admit there’s so much still to learn.

3.    Let us be fluid, not fixed

Instead of seeking THE answer, I want us to think in a more divergent way. Instead of just trying to make what we want to happen happen, I want us to react positively to the world we find ourselves in each day. Instead of being on transmit, I want us to listen to others, to absorb, to consider.

I want us to be part of our world, shaped by it as much as we shape it.

4.    Let us stay true to ourselves

But being fluid doesn’t mean aimlessly blowing whichever way the wind goes. Polonius may have been a doddery old fool, but it’s hard to argue with "To thine own self be true".

I hope that we always have a clear aim or purpose in life and a clear sense of who we are. Then we can react with the world around us in a way that makes us better, but doesn’t make us into someone else.

5.    Let us be generous, always

Above all, I want us always to try to share –  ideas, energy, thoughts, problems and, of course,  time. I want us to give because giving is good, without asking for a quid pro quo.

Interestingly, those who approach life with a generosity might well be the winners after all, as this wonderful bit of research from UC Santa Barbara suggests - @nilofer Is there such a thing as "survival of the nicest"> new research on generosity and exchanges. http://ow.ly/5WMGg