50 Life Lessons
By World Wide Ed
I recently got this message forwarded to me with the subject heading "7%". Thinking it was a discount coupon for 7% somewhere, I opened it, but, as it turned out, "an estimated 93% won't forward this and just 7% will." The instructions continued "If you are one of the 7% who will, forward this with the title '7%'", hence the title.
After some research, I discovered that the original was actually from a decorated writer: Regina Brett., from her column in Cleveland's Plain Dealer. I thought it would be a great share for the WWE community, so I hope y'all enjoy! Feel free to add your own life lesson in the comments below!
Regina Brett's 45 Life Lessons and 5 to Grow On
Written By Regina Brett of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 50 in August, so here is the column once more:
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. Overprepare, 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."
Talk to me!
* Feel free to add your own life lesson in the comments below! 
World Wide Ed
July 20th, 2009 at 3:33 am
Sleep is the best meditation - Dalai Lama.
July 20th, 2009 at 4:00 am
that's all good stuff. i think that's all stuff that we already we know, but sometimes forget. just like dr. randy pauch's book.
July 20th, 2009 at 5:49 am
You have only one body, take care of it.
July 20th, 2009 at 6:04 am
no sense stress over things you can't control
July 20th, 2009 at 7:11 am
Here's a few we share with the students:
We can agree to disagree.
Learn how to say sorry and mean it.
Things get better with time ... and sometimes distance.
No one is always right.
If you have second thoughts, erase the first one.
July 20th, 2009 at 7:12 am
NICE!
Happy Monday!
July 20th, 2009 at 7:15 am
On Regina Brett's list, I totally agree with #8 and #34 ... to me, that is the best parts of who He is.
@Ed - thanks for sharing!
July 20th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Never underestimate the effect of a high fiber diet.
Every night go to bed a better person than the one you woke up as.
July 20th, 2009 at 7:29 am
What's done is done. You can't change the past. No sense in beating yourself up over it. Gotta learn from your mistakes and move on.
July 20th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Good Morning Ed!
Great list!
July 20th, 2009 at 8:29 am
There should be additional caveats to # 12 -- your children need to see you strong most of the time (yes, I'm not a parent; but, think about it). Funerals, weddings, fine. But, some parents just starting out nowadays, man, cap the emotion, grow up.
You know, these kinds of list (and, not faulting you, Ed) they're Johnny-come-latelies in my book. Lot of these "revelations" that folks nowadays make you want to think is "new" go right to this country's classic beliefs and Judeo-Christian values (# 33 -- man, I need to find out how much -- if at all -- of a Lib' this Regina is; I would tell to her face, "oh, really?" regarding # 33), yet, since the 1980s, even, pop culture (not the least of which is this nation's dailies, mind you) tries to get you to believe God is evil, God is dead. Christianity wrong, bah, created by, I dunno, Orcs or something. Western belief is dead (or did I simply imagine the mis-existence of a Dan Brown). The strength of America is always here; it's why most people around the world want to come and work, life, and educate themselves here.
When all else fails, the above is what our parents and other elders tried to teach us. Too bad a lot of us were too d@#n cool to listen, no?
July 20th, 2009 at 8:44 am
a coach (thanks coach Gordon) told me "on the baseball field, there are no 'my bads'"
what he meant was that if you tried your best and still made an error then you don't have anything to be sorry about and if you didn't try your best you shouldn't have been out there in the first place. don't waste time saying you're sorry when the game is still going on and passing you by.
same with life, I think (although it applies more to feeling sorry about/for yourself rather than the social convention and polite action of actually saying you're sorry).
July 20th, 2009 at 9:13 am
When in distress, cling to your guns and religion
July 20th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Not really life lessons, but here's my 2 cents:
It's your choice on what perspective you take.
Relearn the lost art of optimism.
... and ... always check for evil monkeys in your closet before you go to bed!
July 20th, 2009 at 9:39 am
When your kids fight and you make them say sorry and hug:
the offender should look the offended in the eyes and say sorry. he/she should then ask to be forgiven.
the offended has the option to accept the apology AND forgive the sibling.
in time, they learn...
July 20th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Once heard a joke:
Old Filipino man sees "YIELD" sign on the freeway but ends up getting into an accident anyway. When the attending police officer asked why he didn't yield, he says, "But officer, I did. I yield and I yield but he did not stop!" (yelled...) I know, dry, but I had to laugh.
July 20th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I have a life lesson:
It's OK to just spazz out sometimes! We were at the Daiei, er Don Q, yesterday. They were playing some funky music. In the middle of the "oriental" aisle I turned to my 3 year old and started dancing like a crazy person. She danced with me. We laughed. Obasan and ojisan were looking at us like we was crazy Filipinos from the hood. But we laughed. We're trying to get daddy to spazz out sometimes too!
July 20th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Never ever steal but if free take.
July 20th, 2009 at 10:19 am
@CG: When all else fails, the above is what our parents and other elders tried to teach us. Too bad a lot of us were too d@#n cool to listen, no?
...das cuz we were teenagers and invincible! boy, were we stupid. LOL.
I agree with you that it can be a Johnny-come-lately. Good to be reminded sometimes, though.
July 20th, 2009 at 10:45 am
"Step by step. I can't see any other way of accomplishing anything." - Michael Jordan.
I try to live by this everyday.
July 20th, 2009 at 11:51 am
@Leerz - I was a stoopid teen ... and dang, I still stoopid at times *sigh*
and oh yeah, if I seen you and your kid dancing in the aisle, I would keep on walking and think to myself, .... "same ole Leerz" - chee-hoo! okay, maybe I'd jump in.
July 20th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
rayboy checkin' for evil monkeys is way too funny and tita doesn't even have to try to be funny.. just is..
kay-den.. some or-ig-in-als
The difference between winners and losers is what they do after they lose..
Try to avoid bad habits, cuz life has a way of just kicking the spit out of you if you don't.. in fack, life goin' kick da spit out of you anywayz.. (only not really spit)..
Drink an' drive an' no surprise if you wind up face down in da middle of da road.. drink every day and no surprise if you wind up face down in da middle of life..
Don't take lapses in communication personally unless you're the source..
Be more interested than interesting and you'll get along just fine..
Be cautious, but never afraid.. Dad (aka Darth Vader) said, "either you're still flying and you're fine or you're shot down and you're dead, so it doesn't help to worry, just keep flying"..
It's easy, be nice to everyone..
Leave every encounter with the other person's dignity and respect intact..
Try follow the "One Crime at a Time Rule"..
If you going drink, stay home..
If you going drink and get rowdy, shut da door..
If you going drink and drive, drive slow..
If you going drink and drive fast, call ahead fo' am-bu-lance..
mo latahz..
July 20th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Meditation or medication or medicine YN?
True dat beeBz! Googled Randy Pauch BTW. Kewls!
I like dat one hemmaz! I heard another similar one like "Some people care more about what goes into their car than their body... Don't be them."
I live by this one ALL the time. Or at least not getting stressed out or mad about stuff out of my control. No sense yeah Matty? Waste time.
I thought you met me before dewz?
You too carokun!
Amen!
Sounds sore frankie...
Another good one Hobbz. Live and learn yeah?
Majahloz M!
I know I need to change my way of thinking on this one folks, but to me, crying is a sign of weakness. Not sure if I can show the future kids my tears... unless it's at funerals, etc., or, once they're older and I no need be their rock.
I can see where your coach (thanks coach Gordon!
) was coming from Matty, but I still say "my bad" sometimes. Mental errors, or bad decisions make me all irraz, esp if I was the one who made them cause they could've been prevented with more focus and smarter decision making.
Good one Scotty2Hotty!
Ahahaha! Never knew this was one problem until now beej!
That explains some thangs.
Nah! This reminds me of that one saying... you know that "dance like nobody's watching" one...?
LOLOL!
Another good one J Peezy! I like who you quoted too!
I would jump in too, but might have to show you guys up with some shoulder rolls or the worm or something.
I hearrrrd dat ooj!
July 20th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
great list! its always nice to read these types of emails and realize how lucky you really are.
July 20th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
"I can see where your coach (thanks coach Gordon! ) was coming from Matty, but I still say "my bad" sometimes. Mental errors, or bad decisions make me all irraz, esp if I was the one who made them cause they could've been prevented with more focus and smarter decision making."
I think the salient point is that if you spend too much time worrying about when and where to apologize, you lose the opportunities and ability to correct your errors and do the right thing. in real life, you have to apologize because it's the right thing to do, but you don't have to make apologizing your main focus. like i tell my son: apologize if you hurt someone, but try to not have to apologize next time.
July 20th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
@uncz - your phils is killing Lilly and the cubbies.
July 20th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
lesson 99 life stinks so make sure you have a bottle of diarrhea pills...always have medication in your cabinet it might just save your ass!
July 20th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
lesson 98 buy medical insurance !
July 20th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
lesson 97 look both ways before crossign the road..and stay away from a person full of phobia or you end up a nervous wreck!
July 20th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch...
HINT: MAKE SURE YOUR FRIENDS ARE NOT BACKSTABBERS. AT LEAST YOUR JOB WILL PAY FOR HOSPITAL BILLS AND FEED YOU WHEN YOUR BACKSTABBER FRIEND RUNS AWAY WITH YOUR CASH!
July 20th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
kuya..
t'anks, eh fo' da Pilly shout out.. be-rieve me, brah, dey do da deal for Roy Boy, all dem guyz in da City of Bruthaly Love Lose in Da Playoffs will all have their dic-tion-aries out learning to spell.. NL EAST DIE-NASTY!!!
hooo, lessee, who would we like and not like to see in Da Whirl Seriez...
hmmm... like = Yankers..
not like = Boss-ton Sox.. playeen' a former coach cud be real Baci, no?..
also Baci to get too far ahead of yo' self too early in da season..
July 21st, 2009 at 4:13 pm
i like this list