Do you know what the cheapest commodity in the world is? Well, it’s advice. Everyone seems to have an opinion; if you don’t think so, just ask them. Here is some advice about how to live your life. Some of the advice is thoughtful, some sensible and some humorous. Live life and enjoy these suggestions.
On Health:
Drink plenty of water, it has no calories and 30% of all of the calories you take in are the liquids you drink. Will you lose weight? I don’t know if you will, but you definitely will not gain weight drinking water.
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. Eat apples from the tree and lettuce from the ground, and skip all processed food with the added chemicals for color, preservation and added texture.
Live with the 3 E’s-Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
Make time to pray-it’s good for your heart and soul, besides, God listens.
Play more games-have and do adult responsibilities, but play like a child.
Sleep for at least 7 hours (I prefer 9), after all that fun your body needs rest.
Read more books, there is much to learn and it is cheap entertainment.
Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes every day. Sometimes the best company is no company. When your mind is controlled and still, what remains is your soul. Get in touch, and stay in touch, with your soul. A smart man once said, “All of the problems in the world could be solved if a man were left alone in a silent room for 2 hours.” (I wish I was the first man to have said that.)
Walk every day for 30 minutes, and while you walk, smile-inform your face that you are happy.
On Personality:
Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is about, besides, there will always be people who are greater and lesser than you.
Don’t have negative thoughts or obsess about things you cannot change or control-focus on the things you can control. Instead of worrying, invest your energy in every positive experience. Live in the moment-yesterday is gone and tomorrow has not yet arrived.
Don’t over do, know and respect your limitations. Clint Eastwood’s movie character said, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” Man, was he right.
Don’t take yourself too seriously; after all, no one else does-they have their own problems and issues to resolve.
Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip because what you give out is what you will eventually receive. If you want love and acceptance, give out love and acceptance. If your life is about hate, envy and holding grudges, you will have a bad end time-this is guaranteed, it is axiomatic, as night follows day. Some people call this karma. I call it “you better pay attention.”
Dream more while you are awake because there is more probability that your dreams will come true-act as if your dreams will happen and maybe they will. Dreams while you are sleeping require action to become a reality.
Realize that envy is a waste of time, it is better to show gratitude for the gifts you have already received.
Forget issues of the past. Forgive those who have wronged you; it you do not, it may ruin your present happiness. Besides, if you will not forgive another person-no matter how close they have been to you-who will forgive you?
Life is too short to waste your time hating people. Hating people is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. Hate will ultimately hurt you more than the person you hate. Give yourself a rest from being hateful and vitriolic-it’s negative, tiresome and unhealthy.
Make peace with your past so it does not spoil your present and future life.
Remember that no one is in charge of your happiness but you. If you are not a happy person, look in the mirror and see who is really the source of your unhappiness. Abraham Lincoln said, “People are about as happy as they make up their mind to be.” Well done, Abe, I could not have said it better myself.
Realize that life is not a resting place, it is a testing place. You will always encounter unexpected negatives and challenges. Learn to deal with them or be destroyed by them. If your life is not exactly as you want it to be, change. I know change is difficult because it forces you to examine and change your thought process and belief system, but understand this: when you blame others, you give up your ability to change-that makes you helpless and dependent upon your government and others. Don’t be a slave to your stupidity. Get over yourself, and change for a better life.
Life is a learning process. Be careful about what you learn because after the lessons are taught and the experience is over, what you learn or did not learn will last a lifetime and totally affect your future happiness, well being, standards and material blessings. (You may need to read that again about 10 times for it to sink in and for you to apply the lesson.)
Smile and laugh because it is more fun and life is short. Be happy because it does not cost anything to be happy, or enjoy a sunset, or enjoy the wonder that surrounds us.
Do not allow people to set your standards. If you do, they will set the bar so low you will trip crossing the room. When you have standards, and set your own standards, your standards will far exceed those that others would have set for you. Do not follow the crowd because you crave love, acceptance and approval-follow your own heart and focus on how you want to live your life to the fullest.
On Society:
Call your family and friends often. Tell your family and friends you love them and care about them, and then show them your love and affection. We cannot get enough positive energy in this life because we are surrounded by too much negative energy. Positive energy is always better because it is grounded in love, and love conquers all things.
When someone reaches out to you for forgiveness, forgive him or her. When someone reaches out to you for acceptance, accept him or her. Ralph Walled Emerson said, “It is never too soon to do a kindness, for you never know when too soon will be too late.” Profound words from a very wise and sensitive man.
Spend more time with people over 70 and under the age of 6. I promise you that if you do not spend more time with your grandparents and children in their infancy, you will regret it later in life. You will miss your grandparents more than ever when they are gone, and your children will not come back to visit you as often if you do not spend more time with them at an impressionable age.
The sooner you realize that you have been put here to serve others the better your life will become. There is no reward in being self-centered rather than other-centered. You can acquire money at the expense of others, you can acquire fame if you have good looks and talent, you can climb the corporate ladder if you step on people to get ahead, but nobody will spend time with you when your money evaporates with the stock market, your looks fade, your talent is expended, and you retire or are fired. People will consciously avoid you because you lack values, morals and ethics. They would rather spend time with their dog.
Make it your mission in life to lift someone up every day by smiling, helping, accepting, believing, loving and caring. Open doors for people, help them cross a dangerous street, empathize with their loss and sorrows, lead them to a higher power so they might live again in peace with themselves and their future.
What other people think of you is none of your business; the most important thing is what you think about yourself. Remember also that the most important conversation going on around you on the outside is the one you are having with yourself on the inside.
Your job will not take care of you when you are sick or laid off-your family and fiends will. Stay in touch, and treat everyone-not just your family and friends-with love, acceptance and approval. They may need you, and you may need them on the QT.
On Life:
Do the right thing, always. Always make your decisions in life-big and small-with right thinking and right motives. That means that you are going to have to be just as much other-centered as self-centered, if not more so. But you will maintain your integrity, sleep well at night, and never have anything to cover up or apologize for.
Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
Do not be confused about God and his place in your life. God heals everything. If He created the world and you, He most certainly can give you the healing you need. Trust in the Lord in all things, and lean not unto your own understanding.
Realize that no matter how good or bad a situation is, it will change. Change in life is inevitable, so be prepared to adjust to change and make the best of it, and your situation.
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up ready to take care of your opportunities and responsibilities. Step up and do what you should. Man up and woman up. Be responsible, accountable, reliable and productive. When you screw up, fess up. Do not blame others. Admit your mistakes. When you say “I’m sorry” mean it.
When you wake up in the morning, thank God for another day. Do not be assumptive about your future existence. A little gratitude in life will take you farther than conducting your life as if there is no God.
Remember that the best in life has not yet happened. If things are not gong your way, you can in large measure guide yourself to better life by changing your attitude, personality, sense of duty, discretion, judgment and effort.