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

Aim to live a wild, generous, full, exciting life—blessing those around you and seeing the good in all.

Follow your dreams—they are God given.

Have a few close friends who you see often—their friendship matters more than having many shallow acquaintances.

Be honest and vulnerable with those close to you. It creates strong bonds.

Don’t be held back, either by fear or by lack of confidence. Go for it, despite these very normal emotions that we all feel occasionally.

Build people up.

Be faithful—any old slime can cheat!

Smile and laugh more than is considered normal!

Be loyal—it is the mark of a man.

Remember the verse, “We are the sweet smell of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are being lost.”

(2 Corinthians 2:15 NCV)

Exercise at least every other day—make it a habit. Then you will shine even brighter.

Choose your job carefully—do work that excites you. It is where you will spend so much of your time.

.Don’t be afraid to be weak occasionally.

Choose a job that betters people’s lives.

Snack on nuts and fruit—they suppress appetite and make you strong!

Remember the verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV)

Cheerfulness in adversity is a key character trait in the game of life.

Moments of doubt are part of life. Accept them and remember that Jesus Himself said, “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Nobility is not a birthright—how we act in the big moments defines who we are.

Encourage, encourage; help, help.

Remember this verse by heart: “Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:10).

Understand that failure is an essential stepping-stone on the road to success.

Always keep the big picture in mind—you are greatly loved by Jesus and your job is to love Him and others in return. The rest is detail.

Give more than you take, especially with friends and family. See the best in people—as Christ does with you.

Compliment people—kind words can change lives, and people rarely forget.

Manners really matter; in fact, they make the man.

Remember that how you speak about others speaks loudest about yourself.

If you want to see the real man, give him power over people and see what he does. Remember this in how you treat people.

Be the most enthusiastic person you know!

—

Love Jesus.

Find a fun, honest, down-to-earth local church and support it.

Be gentle.

—

Consider others better than yourself.

Be especially kind, thoughtful, and generous to those who are overlooked in life—this is the measure of a real man.

Pray daily—what a person the Lord is to have helping you!

Be courageous in key moments.

Eat lots of fruit and vegetables. They fight all the free radicals that try to slow you down.

Be kind to those whom others neglect.

If supply is short, then look for something to give away. It is a law of the universe—to receive you must first give.

Put 10 percent of your income aside and give that money to those in need—whether friends or charities. You have the power to save lives.

Speak generously about people.

Sometimes it is worth losing a battle to win the war.

Jesus came to seek and to save us—let Him do His job!

Help friends in need.

Don’t lend money; rather, give it.

Say “why not?” rather than “why?”

Generally in life, try to leave five minutes too early rather than five minutes too late.

The people to be nicest to in life are your wife and your children—give them the most time, energy, and love, and you will be happy.

Spend more time with your family and less at work—no one on their deathbed says they wish they had spent more time in the office!

Marry only for love.

This is a great one to remember:

“And be sure of this: I am with

you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NLT).

I had this engraved on Mama’s

wedding ring when we married!

Lead by example.

Preach Jesus every day—when necessary, use words! That is, love and listen to people.

No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

Don’t lie.

You have two ears and one mouth—use them in proportion: Listen twice as much as you speak!

Don’t one-up people’s stories.

“But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18).

Thank God for your many blessings; then go out there and blossom. It is okay to succeed!

Always look people in the eye.

Have a firm handshake.

When you call someone, first ask if it is a good time to talk.

Don’t be afraid to be quiet and let others shine.

Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Be extra cautious if mixing business with friendship.

Pride comes before a fall—so don’t be too proud to let others win. There is room for everyone to do well!

Be ambitious—think big and take calculated risks.

Be open, honest, and fair in all your dealings.

It is okay to be weak—with less of you there is more room for God.

When you’re right, shut up, and when you’re wrong, admit it.

Many great people over the centuries have depended on their faith—it is a sign of great strength to need Jesus in your life.

Be the first to apologize.

Enjoy the silence.

Make a little time to be quiet by yourself every day and just be.

Don’t go to battle unless it is absolutely necessary—to turn the other cheek takes great strength and courage.

Crying is healthy!

—

Always hold hands with those you love whenever you have the chance.

Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude.

Relax. You have no need for the common concerns of life. Remember Isaiah: “The LORD will guide you always” (58:11).

Don’t worry about anything that is outside your sphere of influence—if you can’t change it, don’t waste time worrying about it!

Learn a few clean jokes and a good card trick.

Laugh at yourself.

Learn to play an instrument.

Swim in streams. Be spontaneous—it’s fun!

Watch a sunrise occasionally.

Bet your life on Jesus. Ultimately that’s the big one!

Make people smile every day.

Know that I love you and am always with you and am oh, so proud.

—Your Papa

“The LORD himself watches over you!” (Psalm 121:5 NLT)

The wildly popular TV host BEAR GRYLLS is an internationally known adventurer, author, and motivational speaker. But what he really wants you to know about him is that he has a wonderful wife, Shara, and three incredible sons, Jesse, Marmaduke, and Huckleberry. Bear and his family live on a small island off the Welsh coast and a barge on London’s River Thames.

www.davidccook.com

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Preface

To My Sons

Extras