HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM TEXAS Y'ALL! Thought I'd share these
Selections from H. Jackson Brown, Jr.'s Life's Little Instruction Books - some good reminders in here I think:
VOLUME I
1. Compliment three people every day.
3. Watch a sunrise at least once a year.
7. Look people in the eye.
14. Plant flowers every spring.
16. Be the first to say, "Hello."
17. Live beneath your means.
19. Buy great books even if you never read them.
20. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
27. Return all things you borrow.
33. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
37. Make new friends but cherish the old ones.
39. Take lots of snapshots.
41. Don't postpone joy.
43. Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen every day.
48. Keep a tight rein on your temper.
54. Surprise loved ones with little unexpected gifts.
55. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
57. Make the best of bad situations.
60. Admit your mistakes
68. Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.
71. Learn to make something beautiful with your hands.
77. Don't take good health for granted.
80. Slow dance.
93. Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come ninety percent of all your happiness or misery.
94. Make it a habit to do nice things for people who'll never find out.
97. Always have something beautiful in sight, even if it's just a daisy in a jelly glass.
104. Take a brisk thirty-minute walk every day.
107. Smile a lot. It costs nothing and is beyond price.
122. Stop and read historical roadside markers.
123. Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
133. When someone is relating an important event that's happened to them, don't try to top them with a story of your own. Let them have the stage.
139. Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.
141. Give yourself an hour to cool off before responding to someone who has provoked you. If it involves something really important, give yourself overnight.
156. Strive for excellence, not perfection.
157. Take time to smell the roses.
158. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
159. Be tough-minded but tenderhearted.
171. Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.
173. Be kinder than necessary.
182. Be romantic.
183. Let people know what you stand for--and what you won't stand for.
188. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
190. Have a good posture. Enter a room with purpose and confidence.
197. Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
202. Show respect for all living things.
205. Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.
210. Commit yourself to constant self-improvement.
213. Don't waste time grieving over past mistakes. Learn from them and move on.
226. When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.
237. Seek out the good in people.
250. Learn to show cheerfulness, even when you don't feel like it.
251. Learn to show enthusiasm, even when you don't feel like it.
252. Take good care of those you love.
260. Every day show your family how much you love them with your words, with your touch, and with your thoughtfulness.
267. Lie on your back and look at the stars.
274. Leave everything a little better than you found it.
280. No matter how dire the situation, keep your cool.
284. Never underestimate your power to change yourself.
292. Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.
296. Accept pain and disappointement as part of life.
298. See problems as opportunities for growth and self-mastery.
304. Judge your success by the degree that you're enjoying peace, health, and love.
313. Never underestimate the power of love.
314. Never underestimate the power of forgiveness.
332. Live you life as an exclamation, not an explanation.
338. Live your life so that your epitaph could read, "No Regrets."
346. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
346. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
355. Evaluate yourself by your own standards, not someone else's.
356. Be there when people need you.
368. Remember that no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who help you.
375. Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone else choose it for you.
383. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power, or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
395. Remain open, flexible, curious.
416. Don't procrastinate. Do what needs doing when it needs to be done.
421. Take care of your reputation. It's your best asset.
428. Do more than is expected.
443. Laugh a lot. A good sense of humor cures almost all of life's ills.
444. Never underestimate the power of a kind word or deed.
459. Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.
504. Commit yourself to quality.
508. Become someone's hero.
510. Count your blessings.Volume II
512. Believe in love at first sight.
518. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely.
552. Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something.
558. Never betray a confidence.
569. When you lose, don't loset the lesson.
594. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
598. Remember that no time is wasted that makes two people better friends.
618. Memorize your favorite love poem.
620. When you are totally exhausted but have to keep going, wash your face and hands and put on clean socks and a clean shirt. You will feel remarkably refreshed.
633. Do the right thing, regardless of what others think.
637. Be open and accesible. The next person you meet could become your best friend.
645. Learn to save on even the most modest salary. If you do, you're almost assured of financial success.
649. Don't confuse comfort with happiness.
659. Turn enemies into friends by doing something nice for them.
664. If you want to do something and you feel in your bones that it's the right thing to do, do it. Intuition is often as important as the facts.
672. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
683. Be quick to take advantage of an advantage.
688. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
690. Don't think you can relax your way to happiness. Happiness comes as a result of doing.
694. What you must do, do cheerfully.
695. Don't waste time waiting for inspiration. Begin, and inspiration will find you.
703. Watch your attitude. It's the first thing people notice about you.
715. Remember that the more you know, the less you fear.
723. Some things need doing better than they've ever been done before. Some just need doing. Others don't need doing at all. Know which is which.
728. Remember that a good example is the best sermon.
731. Live a good honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time.
746. Be humble and polite, but don't let anyone push you around.
754. Every so often let your spirit of adventure triumph over your good sense.
780. Don't let weeds grow around your dreams.
784. Remember that almost everything looks better after a good night's sleep.
789. Remember that how you say something is as important as what you say.
803. Don't take good friends, good health, or a good marriage for granted.
808. Do a good job because you want to, not because you have to. This puts you in charge instead of you boss.
809. Remember that the shortest way to get anywhere is to have good company traveling with you.
812. Don't be thin-skinned. Take criticism as well as praise with equal grace.
813. At the end of your days, be leaning forward--not falling backwards.
817. Share you knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
818. Be gentle with the earth.
824. Spend your time and energy creating, not criticizing.
840. Never take what you cannot use.
841. When there is a hill to climb, don't think that waiting will make it smaller.
847. Pray. There is immeasurable power in it.
862. Remember that what's right isn't always popular, and what's popular isn't always right.
868. Spend you life lifting people up, not putting people down.
870. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
878. Never risk what you can't afford to lose.
885. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
893. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of good luck.
898. Remember that what you give will afford you more pleasure than what you get.
901. Remember that everyone you meet wears an invisible sighn. It reads, "Notice me. Make me feel important."
912. Whether it's life or a horse that throws you, get right back on.
915. Every once on a while ask yourself the question, If money weren't a consideration, what would I like to be doing?
916. Learn the rules. Then break some.
921. Remember that half the joy of achievement is in the anticipation.
926. Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
930. Never swap your integrity for money, power or fame.
934. Never remind someone of a kindness or act of generosity you have shown him or her. Bestow a favor and then forget it.
954. Truth is a serious business. When criticizing others, remember that a little goes a long way.
957. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
966. Let some things remain mysterious.
970. Travel. Se new places, but remember to take along an open mind.
974. When you are away from home and hear church bells, think of someone who loves you.
975. When friends offer to help, let them.
976. Never decide to do nothing just because you can only do a little. Do what you can.
980. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
981. Grind it out. Hanging on just one second longer than your competition makes you the winner.
983. Be better prepared than you think you will need to be.
991. Worry makes a hard pillow. When something's troubling you, before going to sleep, jot down three things you can do the next day to help solve the problem.
992. Buy a red umbrella. It's easier to find among all the black ones, and it adds a little color to rainy days.
994. Love someone who doesn't deserve it.
1001. When you're buying something that you only need to buy once, buy the best you can afford.
1002. As soon as you get married, start saving for your children's education.
1003. Reject and condemn prejudice based on race, gender, religion, or age.
1007. Life is short. Eat more pancakes and fewer rice cakes.
1014. Become the kind of person who brightens a room just by entering it.
1020. When there's a piano to be moved, don't reach for the stool.
1021. Someone will always be looking at you as an example of how to behave. Don't let them down.
1025. Remember the ones who love you.
Volume III
1030. Say something positive as early as possible every day.
1031. Belive in miracles but don't depend on them.
1032. Regardless of the situation, remember that nothing is ever lost by courtesy.
1036. Be thankful you were born in this great country.
1038. Enjoy the satisfaction that comes from doing little things well.
1043. Never allow anyone to intimidate you.
1044. Watch your finances like a hawk.
1045. Don't forget that we are ultimately judged by what we give, not by what we get.
1053. When you hear a kind word spoken about a friend, tell him so.
1054. Never hesitate to do what you know is right.
1057. Share your knowledge and experiences.
1061. Remember that kind word goes a long way.
1063. Be enthusiastic in your expressions of gratitude and appreciation.
1066. When no great harm is involved, let your children do it their way even if you know they are wrong. They will learn more from their mistakes than from your successes.
1067. Forgive quickly.
1068. Kiss slowly.
1081. Earn you succes based on service to others, not at the expense of others.
1083. To fight the blues, try exercising.
1091. Remember the credo of Walt Disney: Think. Believe. Dream. Dare.
1092. When someone lets you down, don't give up on them.
1094. Remember that life's big changes rarely give advance warning.
1096. What you have to do, do wholeheartedly.
1099. Find a job you love and give it everything you've got.
1104. Seek respect rather than popularity.
1107. Never forget that it takes only one person or one idea to change your life forever.
1113. Start a Smile File of jokes, articles, and cartoons that make you laugh.
1124. Become a serious student of American history.
1127. Write some poetry.
1137. Never criticize your country when traveling abroad.
1138. When loved ones drive away, watch until you can no longer see the car.
1144. Hold yourself to the same high standards that you require of others.
1145. Never let the odds keep you from pursuing what you know in your hear you were meant to do.
1150. Type out your favorite quotation and place it where you can see it every day.
1151. When playing a sport with a partner, never criticize his or her performance.
1157. Offer hope.
1164. Finish projects before they are due.
1166. Be happy with what you have while working for what you want.
1171. After going to bed, refuse to worry about problems until the morning.
1176. Remember that a grateful heart is almost always a happy one.
1178. Don't forget that a couple of words of praise or encouragement can make someone's day.
1181. Make your money before spending it.
1183. Whenever you hear an ambulance siren, say prayer for the person inside.
1184. Worry about the consequences of the choices you make before you make them--not afterward.
1191. Never pass up a chance to jump on a trampoline.
1196. Stay humble.
1204. Remember that you can miss a lot of good things in life by having the wrong attitude.
1210. Never leave a loved one in anger.
1213. When in doubt, smile.
1220. When a friend is in need, help him without his having to ask.
1228. Teach your children the pride, satisfaction, and dignity of doing a job well.
1232. Keep $10 in your glove box for emergencies.
1234. Never be too busy to meet someone new.
1235. Remember that cruel words deeply hurt.
1236. Remember that loving words quickly heal.
1238. If it's not a beautiful morning, let your cheerfulness make it one.
1243. Marry someone your equal or a little bit better.
1244. Keep a special notebook. Every night before going to bed, write down something beautiful you saw during the day.
1247. Remember that a minute of anger denies you sixty seconds of happiness.
1252. Before criticizing a new employee, remember your first days at work.
1255. Tell family members you love them before they go away for a few days.
1258. Mail in your Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes notice. Who knows?
1263. Do something every day that maintains your good health.
1266. Never deny anyone the opportunity to do something nice for you.
1273. Remember that a successful future begins right now.
1274. Don't minimize your children's worries and fears.
1276. Never give up on a dream because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.
1279. Be the first adult to jump into the pool or run into the ocean with the kids. They will love you for it.
1280. Hold puppies, kittens, and babies any time you get the chance.
1287. Never forget the debt you owe to all those who have come before you.
1294. Keep a couple of your favorite inspirational books by your bedside.
1297. At least once in your life, see the Grand Teton Mountains from the back of a horse.
1300. Let your children know that regardless of what happens, you'll always be there for them.
1306. If you borrow something more than twice, buy one for yourself.
1309. Be passionate.
1310. Be committed.
1313. Remember that life's most treasured moments often come unannounced.
1324. Remember that every age brings new opportunities.
1328. Go for long, hand-holding walks with your spouse.
1336. Become the world's most thoughtful friend.
1350. Don't eat anything covered with chocolate unless you know what's inside.
1354. Keep a photograph of each person you have dated.
1358. Be positive.
1359. Be polite.
1366. Never leave fun to find fun.
1368. Collect seashells from your favorite beach.
1370. Rebuild a broken relationship.
1384. Remember that bad luck as well as good luck seldom lasts long.
1387. When you see someone sitting alone on a bench, make it a point to speak to them.
1391. When walking a dog, let the dog pick the direction.
1396. Don't be so open-minded that your brains fall out.
1402. Root for your team to win, not for the other team to lose.
1404. Be grateful that God doesn't answer all your prayers.
1405. Accept triumph and defeat with equal grace.
1414. After someone apologizes to you, don't lecture them.
1417. Blow a kiss when driving away from loved ones.
1419. Be willing to accept a temporary inconvenience for a permanent improvement.
1420. When you complete a course, shake the instructor's hand and thank him or her.
1424. Carry a small Swiss Army knife on your key chain.
1425. When you really like someone, tell them. Sometimes you only get one chance.
1427. When going through the checkout line, always ask the cashier how she's doing.
1428. Take more pictures of people than of places.
1433. Never underestimate the influence of the people you have allowed into your life.
1436. Enter a room or meeting like you own the place.
1441. Never keep a free ride waiting.
1442. Savor every day.
1445. Wave to train engineers.
1447. Protect your enthusiasm from the negativity of others.
1463. Never fry bacon while naked.
1466. Read biographies of successful men and women.
1467. Remember, it's not your job to get people to like you, it's your job to like other people.
1471. Remember that the only dumb question is the one you wanted to ask but didn't.
1473. Ask yourself if what you're doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.
1485. Hug a cow.
1486. When someone tells you they love you, never say, "No, you don't."
1490. Remember that nothing important was ever achieved without someone's taking a chance.
1494. Never resist a generous impulse.
1501. Be faithful.
1503. Remember that everyone has bad days.
1507. Never intentionally embarrass anyone.
1508. Question your prejudices.
1510. Exercise vigorously.
1521. Learn the history of your hometown.
1526. Remember that wealth is not having all the money you want, but having all the money you need.
1528. Never break off communications with your children, no matter what they do.
1532. Don't forget that your attitude is just as important as the facts.
1536. Don't live with the breaks on.
1539. Remember that true happiness comes from virtuous living.
1544. Ask for advice when you need it, but remember that no one is an expert on your life.
1545. If you know you're going to lose, do it with style.
1551. Live simply.
1552. Think quickly.
1556. Laugh loudly.
1557. Love deeply.
1559. Remember that all important truths are simple.
1560. Include your parents in your prayers.
& thanks to the wonderful person on the web who posted this so I didn't have to type it all! PS - the four year olds are still up. |
