120 Life Lessons

These are definitely the things that I want to teach and instill in each of my children. Or at least most of them

1. Compliment three people every day
2. Watch a sunrise at lease once a year
3. Have a firm handshake
4. Look people in the eye
5. Say thank you a lot and write thank you notes promptly
6. Take time to listen to your favorite music all alone once a week
7. Sing along with songs that you like
8. Stand at attention and put your hand over your heart when singing the National Anthem
9. Learn to identify the music of Chopin, Mozart, and Beethoven
10. Be the first to say hello
11. Return all the things you borrow
12. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated
13. Keep secrets
14. Never give up on anyone
15. Remember that miracles happen every day
16. Show respect for teachers, the police, and for your elders
17. Don’t waste time learning the tricks of the trade. Instead learn the trade
18. Control your temper
19. Put the cap back on the toothpaste
20. Take out the garbage without being asked
21. Enjoy beautiful things; always have something beautiful in sight
22. Smile a lot; smile at someone once each hour for one full day
23. Take responsibility for everything you do or fail to do
24. Accept a compliment with a simple thank you
25. Live so that when others think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you
26. Use your sense of humor to amuse, not abuse
27. Dot your i’s and cross your t’s
28. Be brave; even if you’re not, pretend to be, because no one can tell the difference
29. Touch the ones you love
30. Don’t take good health and your body for granted
31. Don’t mess with drugs, alcohol or smoking; enjoying life will give you everything the drugs could give you
32. Avoid sarcastic remarks
33. Earn trust and learn to trust
34. Slow dance and enjoy
35. Refill ice-cube trays, even if there are only 2 cubes left
36. Choose your friends carefully; you will influence each other greatly
37. Make it a habit to do nice things for people who’ll never find out
38. Don’t miss class
39. Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures
40. Go for a walk alone at least once a week
41. Never cheat
42. Put marshmallows in your hot chocolate
43. Learn CPR
44. Learn to listen; opportunity sometimes knocks very softly
45. Know how to tie a tie
46. Make it a point to remember people’s names
47. When people are re-telling an important event that happened to them don’t try to top them with a story of your own; let them have the stage
48. Be on time
49. Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have
50. Strive for excellence, not perfection
51. Avoid negative people
52. Be neat
53. Realize that the person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all of the facts.
54. Be kinder than necessary
55. Give people a second chance, but not a third
56. Never take action when you’re angry
57. Battle against prejudice or discrimination wherever you find it
58. Wear out, don’t rust out
59. Let people know what you stand for and what you won’t stand for
60. Ask why
61. Measure people by the size of their heart
62. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know
63. Have good posture
64. Enter a room with purpose and confidence
65. Don’t forget a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated
66. Show respect for ALL living things
67. Loosen up, relax
68. Commit yourself to constant self improvement
69. Remember that being a good loser is different than not caring about losing
70. Don’t major in minor things
71. Praise in public, citicize in private
72. When someone hugs you, let him or her be the first to let go
73. Know that good manners matter
74. Keep your promises; promise and deliver
75. Save some money each week
76. Recognize that you only have one chance to make a first impression
77. Respect Tradition
78. Wave to children on a school bus
79. Show respect for another’s time
80. Hang out with people smarter than yourself
81. Be modest; a lot was accomplished before you arrived
82. Lie on your back and watch the clouds or the stars
83. Remember that overnight success takes about three years
84. Leave everything a little better than you found it
85. Think of what you would change in yourself then change it
86. Realize how you affect others
87. Practice empathy; try to see things from other peoples’ point of view
88. Learn to say ‘no’ politely
89. Don’t expect life to be fair
90. Never criticize another’s family
91. Never underestimate the power of forgiveness
92. Don’t say you don’t have enough time; you have exactly the same number of hours as the rest of us do
93. If you think you have no time to work out, do pushups
94. Remember that winners do what losers don’t want to do
95. Check the batteries in the smoke detectors
96. Life your life with an exclamation! not an explanation
97. Live so that when you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than those you did
98. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them
99. Keep a dictionary at your desk at home
100. Never eat the last cookie
101. Be grateful and acknowledge those who help you
102. Take charge of your attitude; don’t let someone else choose it for you
103. Pay attention to details
104. Be a self starter
105. Pay your fair share
106. Remain curious about your ability
107. When attending meetings, sit upfront
108. Don’t litter
109. Don’t flaunt your success, but don’t apologize for it either
110. Don’t procrastinate; do it now
111. Help out at the special olympics
112. Always do more than the minimum. even if no one will know
113. Waste no opportunities because they can never be regained
114. Ask yourself ‘will this help me become my very best?’
115. Become someone’s hero
116. Adopt the motto ‘if it is to be, it is up to me’
117. Remember that quitters never win and winners never quit
118. Believe that the future belongs to those who prepare for it
119. Assure success through persistence and determination
120. Press on!

Thank you Lori for emailing these to me.