Words To Live By

A friend recently sent me an email with the pithy and wise rules for living, written by Regina Brett, who has written for a number of Ohio newspapers over the years.   The email says she "recently" turned 90, but in fact, that part of the email is wrong.   She turned 50 in 2006, and republished her list of 45 rules with an additional 5.  You can see them above, or right here!  Hope you enjoy it.

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. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Who Needs A Brain?

I like this quote so much I put it on my list of favorite quotes (scroll down toward the bottom of the blog) as well as here:

“Let’s say that she’s 90 percent [recovered]. Well, we’ve had congressmen in Arizona who didn’t even have a brain. So, it’s not like you have to be as talented as she is to be good at it.” Mike McNulty, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' last campaign manager on her viability to run for Sen. Kyl's Senate seat in Arizona (Newsweek, 4/10/11) 

Making A Move?

The other day, I heard a sports report that made a comment that truly befuddled me.   I don't play golf, and the comment was about a round of the US Open that was going on this week-end.   My lack of experience in the game may be at least partly why the comment confused me.

The report said something to the effect of so-and-so was holding a one stroke lead as the round began and that the other leading players were now going to "make their moves."   The comment made no sense to me in the context of golf.   What were the other competitors going to do, stop playing badly?  

How does one "make a move" in golf?   I mean, it's not like car racing, where a driver can stomp on the gas and slip around another car.   Or even yacht racing, where a competitor can do some magical thing with the sails that allows the yacht to gain speed.   In other individual sports, you don't often hear of someone "making his move" to overtake a leader.   Tennis?

So how does one "make a move" in golf?  Stop landing in traps and water hazards?   It's not like anyone lands in those places on purpose in the first place...

Spring/Summer Has Sprung

Chicagoans don't normally actually get much of a Spring; we generally stumble out of Winter into Summer sometime between March and June.   This is one of those years in which we don't seem to be getting many days with sun and temperatures in the 50s or 60s.   We are lurching from cold and wet days directly to 70s and 80s...

At any rate, today was both sunny and warm, so I was able to take my first bicycle ride of the year.   It was pretty exciting to leave the stationary bike behind and get outside for my ride.  

However, I did come to the realization that the stationary bike has at least one advantage over the traditional two-wheeler:  it never causes me to contend with a 20 mph headwind.  And a 20 mph headwind is a very stiff breeze on a bicycle.   I think I got a significantly more strenuous workout today than yesterday....  Which is not a bad thing!

Gasoline Coupon

As the average price of gasoline in the US edges over $4/gallon, Americans are beginning cast about for ways to deal with it.  One of those ways, is engaging in what some might call "gallows humor."   The following was sent to me by a friend as an email.  I don't know if the email will translate well to a blog post, but I found it to be pretty darn funny and wanted to share it.  The biggest alteration is that in the email, you had to scroll down quite a bit to see the coupon...

Gasoline Coupon

I didn't realize it, but these coupons are good for one gallon of gas at most retailers.  I have seen them around, but until recently never took advantage of them, I never realized their actual worth.

You probably have one or two just lying around somewhere; now is the time to use them before they lose their value, and it's too late!!


SEE COUPON BELOW...