Meaningful Life Lessons

This is written by 90-year-old Regina Brett of The Plain Dealer from Cleveland, Ohio.

Quote Regina Brett: "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 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." (added my own comments too)

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. (Very true, we always tend to focus too much on the bad side of life. Turn your head around and look at other wonderful things that life has brought you and you'll realize, life isn't really that terrible at all)

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. (How often do we stop dead on our tracks when paralyzed by doubt? Just attempt to ease forward again with smaller steps)

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. (Hating someone really takes a lot of energy, better spend it on something better for you)

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch. (My mind leaves work behind as soon as I'm done for the day. I believe in work life balance and the time left after work should be spent on yourself or those that really matter to you)

5. Pay off your credit cards every month. (Being in debt will bite you hardest when you're getting broke)

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

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

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it. (Come to think of it, sometimes we get so angry and look for someone to blame, but there isn't anyone we can pin it on. Might as well get angry at Him. He should be able to take it =p)

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. (I ALWAYS believe in saving for the future and especially for a rainy day. You NEVER know when shit might hit the fan and your savings will come in handy)

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. (Yes, my kryptonite as well. If there was a god of chocolate, I'd be the high priest!)

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present. (How often do we let our past hold us back from getting the best out of the present and future?)

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. (What I just realized recently, still trying to get used to it)

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. (I find this very reassuring)

16.Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. (Tried this a few times, it actually works!)

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. (Yeah, remove anything/anyone that has a negative or bad influence in your life. Keep the ones which makes your life better and brighter)

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger. (Yes, that's the truth, and it also makes you smarter!)

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is 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. (You only have one life. Chase your dreams, live your passions and pursue your interests! To anyone who tries to stop you, SEE #17 above)

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. (Live everyday like it's your last, so that you can live to the fullest. How often do you hear people say that? It's something we all need to learn to do)

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow. (Those who know me will know that I'm a believer in taking necessary pre-cautions. It's never wrong to prepare for the worst and it's also re-assuring and relieves some stress from the unexpected. You spend less time worrying and more time on what you want/need to do)

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

24. The most important sex organ is the brain. (Smart people are SEXY, that's for sure =p)

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. (Still learning to be happy with myself)

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter? (OMG, I love this one. How often do we stress out SO MUCH about a certain bad situation or period of time, when it doesn't really matter in the long run?)

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything. (To err is human, to forgive divine. Everyone makes mistakes and deserves another chance. Even if someone has wronged you, forgiving them takes a HUGE load of your heart. You'd be surprised how much the hurt, hate and grudge can weigh you down)

29. What other people think of you is none of your business. (You can't control what people think of you, but you can control your actions which can influence what people think of you. Do you agree?)

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. (I'm a firm believer in learning to laugh at yourself. Nothing should be taken too seriously, it's just too stressful =p)

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do. (I LOVE THIS ONE!)

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

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young. (Good one)

37. Your children get only one childhood.

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

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'll grab ours back. (Yeah, this is so true. We always think how bad our life sucks and how huge our problems are, until we get to glimpse what it's like to be in someone else's shoes)

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. (We always think that the grass is always greener on the other side, we don't realize that we already have all the rivers and trees to sustain us)

42. The best is yet to come. (There is always hope)

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.

46. Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward. (So true. Only when we look back in life, can we learn and understand all that has happened and how much we've grown throughout our journey!)

I found this incredibly meaningful, so I decided to share it. How often do we actually pen down and collect all the lessons life has taught us? You might be surprised on how much you've learned in your journey through life.