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- Don't take the little things for granted. They are what weave the fabric of your life.
- Don't sweat the small stuff.
- 90% of the things we worry about happening never even come to pass. So stop the worrying. It's wasting precious hours you could be doing something else like sleeping or doing a puzzle.
- Do a puzzle.
- Take special and gentle care of yourself. There is only one you.
- Work hard and stay focused on a goal. You will get there. It just may not be as easy as you think.
- Walk. It's the easiest form of exercise. Don't overthink it. Just move.
- Engage with everything. Your family. Your friends. Your pets. But especially your children. Give them 100% of your focus at the moment. Nothing else matters but them. If it does, then pardon yourself until you can engage. Nothing feels worse than to be half-important enough to someone.
- Don't be afraid to love. Take the risk.
- Follow your heart and listen closely to your head.
- Learn the difference between the voice of fear in your head and that of caution. They are very different. Fear wants to hold you back. Caution wants you to be careful moving forward. Those are very different things.
- Put down the screens. Engage. Talk. Look at the world. It's way more interesting.
- Follow your own beat. Dance to your own rhythm.
- Floss. Seriously. It's important.
- Stop telling yourself you can't.
- Indulge yourself.
- Travel. Far and wide. Nothing stifles a human more than the ignorance of one place. See the world.
- Sing. Loud and in your car. Quietly at church. Softly to your baby. Nobody cares what you sound like. Just do it.
- See as many sunsets as you can. They are all different. They are all worth it.
- Slow. Down.
- Don't trust people who don't value the lives of other sentient beings. People who "hate" cats or dogs or children need to be approached cautiously.
- Take a risk in life. A huge one.
- Don't worry about failing or falling. It's how you learn.
- Do the work - emotional, mental, & physical. Do it as early as you can.
- Don't be lazy. Time is too precious.
- Smell the roses.
- Find a signature dish. And a signature drink. Own it. Make it for anyone important in your life. You have to practice something to be good at it. So find some willing taste testers.
- Trust yourself. You know what you are doing as well as anyone else does.
- Do not place yourself around people who make you feel bad about who you are. They are not worth your time.
- Volunteer for something you believe in.
- Things are not black and white in this world. There are a million shades of grey in between those 2 colors. A spectrum of ideas and thoughts and beliefs and people. We are all different in some ways and yet we are all the same.
- Eat consciously. Be mindful of what you choose. Food as close to nature as you can get it and as close to your home as you can find it are always a good idea.
- We are all fighting some battle. We all have a story. Stop judging everyone. Including yourself.
- Second chances are a special gift. Treat them as such.
- Stop carrying around that which doesn't belong to you. Right now. Just put it down and walk away.
- Laugh as often as you can.
- Find blind faith in something. The power of believing in something is real.
- Stop worrying about what you look like right now. Take that cover-up off and dive in. The water is warm and very forgiving.
- Always know when to say goodbye.
- Celebrate yourself each year. In whatever way seems to fit you.
- Always sparkle - but like a diamond, not a disco ball.
- Less is always more. Get rid of the junk.
- Learn how to edit everything - your life, your writing, your space. It will serve you well.
- Fresh cut flowers are always a good idea.
- So is a good bottle of wine.
