I saw this on Facebook yesterday and can't stop reading or thinking about this. I've definitely seen it before. There are so many nuggets in here - I'm highlighting some of my faves that strike deep into my heart right now in yellow, and have added my own thoughts next to them [[in parenthesis]].
I promise to live this way to the best of my ability!
Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, 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. [[I really am a control freak. So when trying to make decisions in my life, I want to see the final outcome; I want to know what to do right NOW. But the truth is, life isn't lived in 5-year, 5-month, or even 5-day bits. Life is lived one minute, one breath, one day at a time. Who knows if the next day will even come. So I am trying to live my life just one day at a time, in presence/awareness, and taking just the one step (no matter how big or small) that feels right to me. I have to trust (though its very hard sometimes) that God is leading me exactly where I am meant to go.]]
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. [[To me this is all about judging. As much as I want to say I don't judge others, I do. We all do. I try to remember that everyone has different loves, passions, goals, and life lessons to experience. I try to look for the beauty in others as opposed to something I can judge them on. I find that when I accept and look for the beauty in myself (like in relation to acceptance of my body for example), I am better able to accept and see the beauty in others.]]
14. If a relationship has to be a 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. [[We live in an abundant world. Holding on to things for fear of not having enough is something I struggled with when I was younger. But I find more peace in my home (and consequently in my heart and mind), when I only see things that are beautiful/make me happy or are being used. If it's not, I let it go and create space for bigger and better things to come into my life.]]
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. [[I read this years ago and did exactly this. We burn candles every night and choose to celebrate today!]]
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 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. [[It's so easy for me to get caught up in the busyness of life. The end of the day comes and I am tired. It would be easy to ball up on the couch in front of the TV. And while that is necessary rejuvenation sometimes, I find that when I make myself get out of the house to see friends, start a craft project, or roll out my yoga mat, I always feel better and happier. I choose life.]]
28. Forgive
29. What other people think of you is none of your business. [[Someone else said, "People are going to talk about you anyway, so give them something to talk about!"]]
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. [[This is positive but kind of depressing too. One of my friends talked to me about the Buddhist religion and there take on this that nothing is permanent. Therefore we can't attach to anything, good or bad. The Buddhist and Hindu philosophy as I understand it is that attachment (to desires, circumstances, people or concepts) is the main obstacle to a serene and fulfilled life. When we can find calm and peace in any circumstance, and understand that it will change, our perspective on life 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 of dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. [[Think about it, the best experiences of our lives are with other people and the best feelings revolve around loving them and being grateful for them!!]]
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. [[Albert Einstein says you can look at life in two ways: As if nothing is a miracle, or as if EVERYTHING is a miracle. Life itself is truly a miracle and I choose the latter!]]
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back. [[It's really hard to believe this sometimes, but the truth is we have no idea what the person rolling out their yoga mat next to our is going through. We can live life in "poor me" like the victim, or we can live life in gratitude for what we do have and the life lessons we are given.]]
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."
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