Regina Brett's 50 Life Lessons for us all.

[chaliepud]

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 to waste time hating anyone.

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

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

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.

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 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. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

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.

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 except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

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. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

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

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

36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

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’d grab ours back.

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

42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

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

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

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

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

48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

49. Yield.

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

 

Thank you Regina!

[chaliepud]

As promised here are Regina's life lessons in full for you to do with whatever you choose. As the eagle eyed of you will notice there are now actually 50 of them. As is only fair here is the authors web address, http://www.reginabrett.com/ so that she may be recognised for her efforts. It is actually a very interesting website and one I have bookmarked. I was led to believe Regina was a 90 year old woman when in fact she is in her 50's. Regina explains what led her to write the list and about the events in her life that led up to it. She is a journalist and I find her articles very engaging and relevant to me.

 

Please feel free to post however you see fit here, maybe talk about which numbers you would like to work on or which you think you have got down pat.. then maybe tell us how you achieve that.

[Signor Finzione]

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”

 

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

 

These are both great. Perspective and positivity are important; it's also important to live life, rather than spend it waiting for 'special occasions' that will probably pass you by.

 

Thanks for these!

 

Edited December 31, 2013 by Signor Finzione

[Athena]

I've saved the list to a document so I can easily look at it another time. Great list, well done Regina! Some of the items are certainly worth pondering over longer.

[chaliepud]

 

 

These are both great. Perspective and positivity are important; it's also important to live life, rather than spend it waiting for 'special occasions' that will probably pass you by.

 

Thanks for these!

 

You're welcome Laura, I have them pinned up in my kitchen so I can glance a them every day.  I am making an extra effort to be positive at the moment.

 

I've saved the list to a document so I can easily look at it another time. Great list, well done Regina! Some of the items are certainly worth pondering over longer.

They certainly are Gaia.

[chaliepud]

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

 

This is my one at the moment. I went to a positivity talk at the spa yesterday and a calming breath is in for four seconds and out for six.. I just need to see if it works when under stress with children, husband etc etc...

[karen.d]

A great list, which promotes positive thinking. I will be reminding myself of these things, when my confidence feels low:

 

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

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

 

I've wanted to be a writer for most of my life and stopped myself from doing so, because I was worried about what people think, or that what I had written was rubbish. However, I've come to the decision that if this is what I want, just do it!

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

 

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

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

 

 

[Chrissy]

Thank you so much for posting these up. The way you did it day- by- day was so inspiring. Now I have the full list I am going to print it off and pin it up to keep myself reminded of them.

[Nollaig]

 

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

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

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

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

 

 

12: The only two times I ever saw my parents cry (once each) was horrendous. I wish they had not. But maybe that's because they so rarely did?

23: What's eccentric about purple?!?!

24: Agreed. 100%.

 

31: This is my favourite. This is the concept I have summed up in my Vonnegut quote, "So it goes", tattooed on my foot. No matter how good or bad anything else, always be ready for it to disappear, because eventually it will. For me, holding that philosophy in mind helps me get through hard times, and reminds me to never take the good times for granted. It is probably the philosophy I hold more true than anything.

[pontalba]

Lots of good stuff on that list.  Thanks for posting.

[chaliepud]

12: The only two times I ever saw my parents cry (once each) was horrendous. I wish they had not. But maybe that's because they so rarely did?

23: What's eccentric about purple?!?!

24: Agreed. 100%.

 

31: This is my favourite. This is the concept I have summed up in my Vonnegut quote, "So it goes", tattooed on my foot. No matter how good or bad anything else, always be ready for it to disappear, because eventually it will. For me, holding that philosophy in mind helps me get through hard times, and reminds me to never take the good times for granted. It is probably the philosophy I hold more true than anything.

I'm glad people are enjoying these and finding them helpful..

 

My parents rarely cried either Noll and it made me very uncomfortable and therefore I hate to cry in front of anyone, even at funerals I will concentrate on anything but the ceremony to try not to.

I agree there's nothing wrong with purple, I think it may be referring to the fact that so many people stick to wearing dull colours as they are 'safe'. I'm a navy blue girl!

I remember reading about your tattoo before, I think it's a great quote and choice for a tattoo.

[chaliepud]

Another nice quote from my Calm Days calendar ...

 

Wisdom can be possessed by the active but seems to favour those who lead the most simple lives.

(Pamela Dugdale)

[Chrissy]

I took the purple thing to be referring to the Jenny Joseph poem, 'Warning', that begins

 

When I am old I shall wear purple,

With a red hat that doesn't go and doesn't suit me

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

 

The poem goes on to list all the things she will start doing when she is old as they are fun, and it concludes with the thought that perhaps she should introduce a few of her eccentricities sooner, so as not to shock people too much.

[Nollaig]

Ah I see! That clears it up!

[chaliepud]

Decisions made in the heat of emotion may be brave, but not wise. Wait until the clamour has died away and in the calm you will see what must be done.

(Pam Brown)