Past

Learn from the past, but don’t dwell on it.

Be excited by life’s possibilities.

Worry is interest paid in advance on borrowed trouble.

The Truth

Take Care of Yourself

1. If it feels wrong, don't do it.

2. Say "exactly" what you mean

3. Don't be a people pleaser

4. Trust your instincts

5. Never speak bad about yourself

6. Never give up on your dreams

7. Don't be afraid to say "No"

8. Don't be afraid to say "Yes"

9. Be kind to yourself

10. Let go of what you can't control

11. Stay away from drama and negativity as much as possible

50 Life Lessons

Regina Brett (born May 31, 1956) is a columnist for The Plain Dealer, a daily newspaper serving Cleveland, Ohio. She was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary in 2008 and 2009. 

In 2006, Brett wrote a column for The Plain Dealer entitled "50 Life Lessons", which has since been the most distributed column she has written to date, appearing on blogs as well as social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook. In many of these instances, Brett is misidentified as a 90-year-old woman.

Here is a reproduction of her original and vastly popular article which she wrote in 2006.

"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 rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

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..

No Time to Listen !

This has been the story of a lot of people - they usually fail to listen to the people in the "trenches" and miss out on the wonderful ideas that they have.

Success Does Not Happen in Isolation

There was a farmer who grew superior quality and award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won honor and prizes. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learnt something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his award-winning corn seeds with his neighbor farmers.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering their corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior, sub-standard and poor quality corn, cross pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

The farmer gave a superb insight into the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor’s corn also improves.

So it is in other dimensions also !

Those who choose to be at harmony must help their neighbors and colleagues to be at peace, those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

If we are to grow good quality corn, we must help our neighbors grow good quality corn too....

Success does not happen in isolation; it is most often a participatory and collective process. So share the good practices, ideas and new knowledge with your family, friends, team members and neighbours and all.

Only way (the right way) to grow in an organization is - to grow along with others and not grow at the cost of others!
George Bernard Shaw once noted, If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange apples, then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.

Has the water entered my ship?

In 1923 , eight of the wealthiest people in the world met . Their combined wealth , estimated, exceeded the wealth of the government of the United States (there was no Apple, Google, Microsoft and recession then). These men knew how to make a living and accumulate wealth . It's very interesting to read about what happened to these 8 wealthiest people in the world , 25 years later ….. 

So 25 years later....... 

1. President of the largest Steel Company , Charles Schwab , died bankrupt. 

2. President of the largest Gas Company , Howard Hubson , went insane. 

3. One of the greatest commodity traders , Arthur Cutton , died insolvent. 

4. President of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney , was sent to jail. 

5. A member of the President’s Cabinet , Albert Fall , was pardoned from jail. 

6. The greatest “bear” on Wall Street , Jessie Livermore , committed suicide. 

7. President of the world’s greatest monopoly , Ivar Krueger , committed suicide. 

8. President , Bank of International Settlement , Leon Fraser , committed suicide. 

So, what happened? Where did they go wrong? 

They most certainly made lots and lots of money. They were very wealthy. But what did they lack then? In fact, as much as they knew how to make a living, they forgot to make a life! Instead, they just made Money! 

Money provides comfort and status, so true. It also provides food for the hungry, medicine for the sick, clothes for the needy; and shelter for the homeless, yet, noteworthy to mention that is only a medium of exchange. 

Our education system needs to share two kinds of education. One that teaches us skills on how to make a living; and one that teaches us values on how to live life, free from entrapment of chasing after an illusion of happiness. 

Many people are entrapped in that chase neglecting health, family, the social responsibilities, the environment and moment by moment of real deep fresh breathing. The kids are sleeping when we leave home. They are sleeping when we come home. Twenty years later, we WILL turn back, and they’ll all be gone. Same goes for our health, dreams, and purpose in life. Twenty years later, they will all be gone or a far distant memory. 

Without water, a ship cannot move. The ship needs water. Yet, if the water gets into the ship, the ship will face problems and potentially sink. Similarly, we live in a time where earning is a necessity; but let not the earning enter our hearts; for, what was once a means of living, will become heavy chain, an entrapment and a means of destruction !!!??? 

So take a moment and ask yourself…. 

"Has the water entered my ship?”