My brother-in-law is one of the all-time great people. For almost as long as people have been doing it, he has sent around emails with jokes, stories, wisdom, and more to a long list of people. I don’t read all of them, and it’s easy enough to delete ones I am not interested him, so I have not taken him up on his offer to “unsubscribe at any time”.
Earlier this year, he sent around a list of life lessons that looked like the typical kind of list that floats around the internet. I googled and found this list in an article by Jim Lee who says the list is some “this and that” things some of his friends have sent him during the pandemic.
Here are some of my favorites, edited a bit by me:
- I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.
- I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the vendor save for his daughter’s school fees.
- I leave restaurant servers a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to them. They are toiling much harder for a living than I am.
- I stopped telling the elderly that they’ve already told that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane & relive their past.
- I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.
- I give compliments freely & generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment: never, NEVER turn it down, just say “Thank You.”
- I walk away from people who don’t value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.
- I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat & neither am I in any race.
- I have learned that it’s better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.
- I have learned to live each day as if it’s the last. After all, it might be the last.
- I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself.
Be well,
David