A fantastic way to live

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old


To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 42 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. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

6. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

7. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

8. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

9. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

10. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

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

12. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

13. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

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

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

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

17. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

18. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer...

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

20. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

21. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

22. The most important sex organ is the brain.

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

24. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

25. Always choose life.

26. Forgive everyone everything.

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

28. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

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

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

31. Believe in miracles.

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

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

34. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

35. Your children get only one childhood.

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

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

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

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

40. The best is yet to come.

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

42. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

The Charlie Schulz Philosophy

> The Charlie Schulz Philosophy
> (This is marvelous!! Scroll thru slowly and read carefully to receive
> and enjoy full effect)
> The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the
> 'Peanuts' comic strip.
> You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight
> through and you'll get the point.
> 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
> 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
> 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
> 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
> 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and
> actress.
> 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
> How did you do?
> The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
> These are no second-rate achievers.
> They are the best in their fields.
> But the applause dies.
> Awards tarnish.
> Achievements are forgotten.
> Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
> Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
> 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
> 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
> 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
> 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and
> special!!
> 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
> Easier?
> The Lesson:
> The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
> most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.
> They simply are the ones who care the most!
>

Concentrate on this Sentence

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

There comes a point in your life when you realize:

Who matters,
Who never did,
Who won't anymore...
And who always will.
So, don't worry about people from your past,
there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.
Give these flowers to everyone you don't want to lose in 2009
including me, if that's what is in your heart.
Try to collect 5 ; it's not easy!

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

I've just finished Mitch Albom's book, 'The five people you meet in heaven.' It's only a short story, but comforting nonetheless.

The following text struck a chord with me:

"You died. You were forty-seven. You were the best person any of us knew, and you died and you lost everything. And I lost everything. I lost the only woman I ever loved."

She took his hands. "No, you didn't. I was right here. And you loved me anyway.

"Lost love is still love, Eddie. It takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it.

"Life has to end," she said. "Love doesn't."

While the book is talking about the love bonded in marriage, I feel this is also true for the love in a family, which is the the reason why I wanted to share it with you.

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee... You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her t o the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean , mother?'

Her mother explained that! each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff ? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The b ean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy..

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

The Top 10 Personal Development Blogs You Wish You Knew About Earlier

by JosephYi of Viralogy:

When people think of what the top personal development blogs are they commonly think of blogs such as the Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss or Zen Habits. While these are great blogs that offer some top notch content, their are plenty of other great personal development blogs that not everyone has heard of. We realized this and decided to put together a list of the Top 10 Personal Development Blogs You Wish You Knew About Earlier. While some people may recognize some of the blogs on our list, for those of you who still haven’t discovered them we hope you enjoy them!

http://viralogy.com/blog/rankings/the-top-10-personal-development-blogs-you-wish-you-knew-about-earlier/

How to Become an Ad Expert in 10 Steps

In his early career Jo Owen was responsible for Daz. He put the blue speckle in Daz, and he writes, his career has been downhill ever since. Here he writes, how to become an Ad Expert in 10 steps.

"From this flimsy start, I am often able to fool people into thinking that I know something about advertising. So here is how you can be an advertising expert.

First, know the purpose of advertising. Advertising agencies think that the purpose of advertising is:

* To make lots of money
* Have an excuse for long liquid lunches and even longer arguments
* Win creative awards at industry bashes in exotic locations.

Surprisingly, the purpose of advertising is to sell stuff, in my case Daz. Winning awards is irrelevant. It does not matter if people like the advertising: no one likes Daz advertising, but they remember it and they buy it. So the ultimate tests of any advertising are:

* Do people remember it?
* Do they buy the product?

To figure out if advertising is likely to work, before spending a few million airing it, there are ten tests you can apply. Apply this to any advertising you see: you will find many campaigns are expensive failures, others work even if you do not like them.

1. Does it meet the brief we agreed? Daz washes whiter — OK?
2. Is it differentiated versus nearest alternatives? Ariel for stains, Dreft for woollens: you get the idea.
3. Does it give a compelling reason why I should buy? If you do not want white clothes to look grey, buy Daz
4. Is it relevant to the people we are targeting? For people with white clothes, yes.
5. Is it credible? Daz has the “Blue whitener” to keep white clothes white. Give a reason why your product works.
6. Is the brand clear? Forget celebrities and clever artistry: stick the brand up front so people remember Daz, not the artistry or celebrity.
7. Does it project the character of the brand? Daz cheap and cheery, versus high tech Ariel, etc.
8. Is it simple and memorable? One brand, one message: Daz washes whiter.
9. Is it consistent with other material? Easy to use on TV, radio, posters, magazines.
10. Is it sustainable economically, and creatively over time? Daz advertising has not changed in fifty years, because it works."