I know that I have only lived on this earth for 29 years, but I feel that I have had a lot of experiences that differ from the average bear and along the way I have thought of some tips to make the most of everyday and to be able to go to bed with a smile. I thought I would share some of them tonight.
1. Rewatch your favorite TV show from childhood. Between the intraweb, Netflix, and Redbox you should be able to find complete seasons of the Smurfs or Full House.
2. Help the old lady across the street. I honestly will stop what I am doing to help a senior citizen cross the street, hold the door, or help her out of the car and over a huge snow mound. I do it for two reasons: a) Because older people don’t see young people do enough good anymore and b) because I see my Gramma in every old lady and I know she smiles down at me when I am kind.
3. Make peace and forgive. Resentments are like drinking poisons and waiting for the other person to die. I know that throughout our life time all of us will be hurt by someone and sometimes it seems easier to be mad at them rather than allow ourselves to forgive. The problem is that anger and hatred can be overwhelming and we lose sight of what was important in the first place. If you think that there is no way that you would be able to forgive a certain person, let me know and I will let you borrow a documentary. It is titled Forgiving Dr. Mengle and about a Jewish woman who survived horrific scientific experiments while in Auschwitz and was able to forgive the doctors, the Nazi’s, and Hitler. It is enlightening.
4. Don’t post your entire life on a social network, it can always come back and bite you in the rear.
5. Don’t surround yourself with people who refuse to do anything that doesn’t involve alcohol. If they can’t go to a movie without a flask chances are they are not the people who will be able to catch you if you fall.
6. Make sure your sister is one of your best friends. There is really no way for her to ever escape you no matter how mad she may get you still have the same blood flowing through your veins. If you don’t have a sister make you best friend’s mom adopt you and get blood transfusions using each other’s plasma. I should probably set something up with Leah.
7. Call you parents. I call my mom every day, mainly because she almost always answers the phone and always has something positive to say. My dad may be a bit harder to handle some days, but he’s my dad and no matter how he may act I know that deep down he would take a bullet for any one of his kids.
8. Get a pet. No matter if it’s a great dane or a box turtle get something you have to take care of and relies on you. If always makes you feel needed and loved. If you get a fish and it dies, buy a new one. If you buy a dog and it dies, buy a fish.
9. Realize that no one, not even you, are perfect. Try not to pick out all of the flaws, just try to see the good and maybe after a while it’s all you will see.
10. Read a book. Turn off the TV, log off Facebook and do what our parents did. Read. I love it when people say, “What would you do without TV?” To which I reply, “I would miss Netflix but I would just read more.” I didn’t have cable as a kid and I really don’t think I ever will.
11. Smile. Smile at strangers, even if they don’t smile back its fun to see the confused look on their face.
12. Be nicer to the planet. Don’t litter, recycle when you can, don’t drive when you can walk, and turn off the water when you brush your teeth.
13. Try to be nice to everyone, even the girl who gets under your skin. If you can stay away from her, but if you have no choice bite your tongue and sing your favorite song in your head while she rambles on.
14. Take lots of pictures to show your grandkids or nieces and nephews. I wish my grandparent would have had more pictures.
15. Pray. I don’t care to what or who just try it. I may make you feel a little better every day and you may find that someone is listening.
16. Stand for something. If you don’t stand for something you will spend your whole life sitting.
17. Be a little nicer to yourself. Take the phrases, “I hate myself, I hate my life, or this sucks.” Out of your vocabulary. It really is true that no matter how horrible you think you have it someone does have it worse. I know people who have it worse and I pray for them.
18. Tell the people in your life that you love them. Sometimes people need to hear that they are loved when you least expect it.
19. Save your pennies and go on vacation. Even if it’s just 30 minutes away and only for the night so some time to relax and listen to your thoughts, or nothing at all. Be good to yourself in every way you can.
20. Never grow up completely. Always be able to look at the world like you are five again. Get ice cream from the ice cream truck, blow bubbles, and color with side walk chalk. It’s the little things in life that we stopped doing that may have been the most therapeutic.
No comments:
Post a Comment