Life Lessons

So I was deleting the sticky notes that I had on my computer so that I could make room for more. And there were things written that have been on my computer since I got it in 2010. Needless to say it was time to clean it up. But I came across one that I had copied and pasted into a sticky note, and just needed to read today. So here it is….

By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer Newspaper, Cleveland, Ohio

“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘in five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive but don’t forget.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside everyday. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab our back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

 

This is one of my very favorite lists. It reminds me to stay true to who I am and never let other people define that. But it also tells me to enjoy life. Yeah things aren’t going to go as I want them to, but it’s all a part of this great master plan. And the best part of that plan…I have no idea what’s going to happen next.

 

(DISCLAIMER: I do not own this list or any of the contents stated above. It is the property of the Plain Dealer and Regina.)

 

Let’s Get Rid of the R-Word

Long time no post. And I seriously mean a long time. My apologizes. A crazy amount of things have happened since the beginning of February, including THON (although this is not the time for me to spend forever talking about that). 

I’ve seen so many posts that talks about the severity of the R-word and how it makes those who are mentally handicapped feel. I know plenty of people who use this word on a daily basis. And even though I am, by most standards, normal..this word offends me. I’ve seen many children (and even adults) who are not as lucky as I am. But they doesn’t make them any less happy.

The R-word is serious word. It holds the same connotation as the word “faggot”. Another word that offends me, although I am 100% straight, but I know and are friends with people who are gay. Both of these words are not okay to say. They are offensive. And although many of us have grown up saying these words, we need to realize the implications that these words have on others.

I found this post through a friend on Facebook, and it is what sparked all of these thoughts (again!). Those whole thing just goes back to the phrase “Think before you speak!”