A List of Thoughts With My Thoughts Added

I didn't write the gems below, but I (of course) couldn't just leave well enough alone.  So, here are my comments after each of these.  Okay, fine, they stand on their own...but humor me...:)

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. (The fact that life isn't fair will not stop the majority of people from trying to make it so...and in so doing will make it seem truly awful sometimes.  Just stay grounded...because quite frankly...most of us are already so indecently lucky that we'd better be dang glad that life isn't fair.)


2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. (This will usually occur either after whining about it to your best friend or because you have no other options.  Plus, if you are headed in the wrong direction...most of the time this will become incredibly obvious soon enough.  If it does...go ahead and turn around and take another small step...in the opposite direction.  Do not fear.)

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. (But, honestly, there are going to be times when you're going to make exceptions to this rule.  Just throw your fit and move on.)

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch. (But since many of us have benefits through work...show work the proper respect as well.)

5. Pay off your credit cards every month. (Or better yet...live without credit cards.)

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. (Unless you are dealing with a political or religious situation.  You're going to have to accept that some people view the world in a completely different manner.  We think they are crazy...they think we're loons.  Personally...I go with biblical truth and common sense.  Anything else seems to smack of trying to make heaven on earth.  Heaven is heaven.  Earth is earth.)

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.  (Preferably tears of Depends-worthy laughter.  For me...that is either the "Awkward Family Photos" website or "D#&@ You Auto Correct!")

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it. (I can personally attest to this.)

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. (Seriously...retirement comes out of nowhere.  I was just in my twenties...today I'm 48.)

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. (True.  But sometimes it has to come in the form of chocolate pudding made with Splenda.  Just saying.)

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up your future. (While easier said than done...there are a couple of things to remember: A) Most of us are incredibly stupid before age 20 in some way or other; B) We all make mistakes...some of us are just more public about it than others; C) Sometimes we build a wisdom base that is used exhaustively to help other people later in life; D) God will go to great lengths to bring us back from some of the most awful places just to prove to us how much He loves us.)

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry. (Just be selective about how often.  It is upsetting to see that kind of vulnerability every day.)

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.  (Nothing is really ever as it seems.  Be grateful for what you have.)

14. If a relationship has to be secret, you shouldn't be in it. (Unless, of course, you are working for the CIA.)

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry, God never blinks. (Yes it does and no he doesn't.)

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.  (So does Tylenol PM.)

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. (Storage fees are ridiculous and clutter is exhausting.  Plus, how can you possibly accept anything else into your life with an open palm when you are grasping onto all of the unnecessary stuff you are holding onto for some reason?)

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make your stronger. (I agree with this from an emotional standpoint...from a physical one...not so much.)

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. (But if you want to share...count me in.)

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.  (It is permissable, however, from time to time to take "Wait." as an answer instead.)

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. (Exactly.  Plus, if you're like me, had I not worn the fancy lingerie when I actually owned it, I never would have been able to get myself into it now.)

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow. (This is a Southern woman's mantra along with making sure that you have way too much of anything so you won't accidentally run out.  Overpreparation is actually a way of showing that you are giving it the proper respect...and too much of something is just "Southern Hospitality.")

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple. (Eccentric in a good way like "she really loves Christmas and has a huge village display she sets up every year" not "she is being featured on 'Hoarders' next season.")

24. The most important sex organ is the brain. (Um.  Okay.  I think that the Cialis ads that run every 15 minutes beg to differ.)

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. (Although other people can seriously help in this regard.)

26. Frame every "so called" disaster with these words, "In five years, will this matter?"  (Or "In five minutes, will this matter?"  Some folks have daily disasters...which is indeed tragic.)

27. Always choose life. (Amen.)

28. Forgive everyone everything. (Including yourself.)

29. What other people think of you is none of your business. (True...but happy thoughts are always nicer, yes?)

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. ("Almost" is the operative word here.  Do your best to do your part as well in your healing.)

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. (And for those of you who aren't there yet..."the change" isn't always pretty.)

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. (They are more concerned with taking themselves so seriously.)

33. Believe in miracles. (Every single day of your life.)

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do. (Amazing Grace...)

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. ("Life is what happens when you were busy making other plans" - John Lennon)

36. Growing old beats the alternative--dying young.  (But being saved trumps both.)

37. Your children get only one childhood. (Make it count.)

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. (Because nothing can go to heaven with you except other people.)

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. (I know on days when I see a rainbow...I feel like God is sending me a special kiss on the forehead.)

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab our's back. (Well, I might trade with someone who threw in "I just can't gain weight whatever I do...")

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. (Envy is also a tool of Satan to make us think that God doesn't love us as much as he loves other people.  Stay out of that snare.)

42. The best is yet to come. (Always.)
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up. (Makeup optional.)

44. Yield. (To God.)

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift. (Sometimes that "gift" is much like the ones that Dixie and Rebel leave in my living room from time to time...but even so...)

Okay, so I went lazy tonight...but I wanted to write...and I'm tired.  Bless you for reading...and thank you, Michele, for posting the original list.