posted March 11, 2022 08:20 PM            

"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 to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

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

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.

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

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.

PAGE TWO

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

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?".

26. Always choose life.

27. Forgive everyone everything.

28. What other people think of you, is none of your business.

29. Time heals almost everything-- Give Time, time.

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

31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

32. Believe in miracles.

33. God loves you because of who God is-- not because of anything you did, or didn't do.

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

35. Growing old beats the alternative: dying young.

36. Your children get only one childhood.

37. All that truly matters in the end, is that you loved.

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

39. If we all threw our problems in a pile, and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

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

41. The best is yet to come.

42. No matter 'how' you feel, et up, dress up, and show up.

43. Yield.

44. Life isn't tied with a bow-- but it is still a Gift.

45. {open}

There was no number 45.

______
Been going through my files, purging in prep for a relocation that's finally going to happen.

This article was typed into an email from a friend.
From date: Thurs, Sep 17, 2009