A List of Musts for Successful Living!

Meaningful quotations, self-help books, and thought provoking conversations about life, spirituality and ethics, these are a few of my favorite things, to borrow a line from a well-known song. Now one might conclude from such favorites that I’ve discovered the meaning of life and live blissfully in the moment regardless of surrounding chaos. Wrong conclusion! Reading gems of wisdom is completely different from living them.

I have compiled a list of things I’ve learned along the way. I’ve also learned the importance of sharing one’s insights. We don’t need to personally experience a life lesson to learn from it. Considerable discomfort can be reduced if we learn from each other. Allow me…

Twice this past Christmas I saw a clever little saying. Once on an item for sale, and later in an email reference from my sister. “Don’t get your tinsel in a tangle.” I like the humor and the insight. There’s much tinsel in life and we often get ourselves in complicated tangles over it. And many of those situations we stress over never happen. I’m working at not anticipating the worst. Some difficulties don’t occur and I don’t want to waste energy worrying needlessly.

Act earlier rather than later. I am up and in the kitchen at increasingly early times each day. There is no reason why I should be rushed for a 9:00 appointment. But I unsuccessfully try to do lists of things before getting ready and then I’m running late and the negative karma is disturbing any semblance of tranquility. I know better, therefore I must do better.

Do not assume you will remember. Write it down. This is a newcomer to my list of musts for successful living. Age plays some part in the necessity of this directive. The part of the brain responsible for remembering details must have short-circuited. A thought can come and go in seconds, and I cannot count on instantly retrieving a name or fact from the memory bank. Give me an hour or day to get back with you, but there’s no rushing the information recall department.

Fame and fortune are fleeting. Rock stars, ballplayers, fads, and fortunes are rarely designed to endure. Yes, a few do, but only very few. Devoting your life to the pursuit of fame or money is foolish and selling out your good name and honor is even worse.

“And this too will end…” The challenges of today may become the successes of tomorrow. Sure, they might not, but optimism is much more pleasant to live by than pessimism. It costs nothing to look on the bright side. No one wants to be a giddy Pollyanna type who fails to take responsibility, but let’s not be gloom and doom either.

Nothing stays the same… That might seem like a quote from Mr. Obvious, but it’s actually a reality that many people fail to consider. And it’s a blessing and a curse. Struggles don’t last forever, and neither do fun times. Even sadder, neither do much loved people and animals. The lesson is, of course, love and enjoy while there’s still time, and learn to adapt when the people or pets or prosperity must depart.

Oh, yes, one more bit of instruction, don’t expect immediate results and never quit trying. May contentment be ours!