Thought Provoking: 45 Things to Consider

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, 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 90 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 – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

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.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19.. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all 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. Over prepare, 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 but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive

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. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

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. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Slow Down 

Today I am reminded to slow down and stop, sit.

It is easy to keep moving, even when exhausted. I watch my 20 month old do it all the time. When I say let's have a nap, she screws up her face in the cutest way and says "no". 

I am never surprised. She is not a napper. I completely understand. The world is to interesting. There is too much to do. 

She is a mini me.

There is always something that seems like it needs to be done right now. The list of loose ends is long. It feels good to tie them up, organize them away, and cross them off the list. It is a weight off my shoulders. 

So is sitting down.

What I have noticed is that as soon as I finish one thing there is so always something else to do. It pops up on my radar, just as the last dot on the screen fads away. 

I am not complaining, just noticing. It is never ending and that's okay. Why? Because it means I can rest. I can stop, because I will not run out of things to do. Because if it is not life or death, immediately necessary for health, safety or general well being, then I can let it go for another time.

So I am sitting down. 

I am cuddling my baby, before she is too busy to cuddle. 

I am holding her even while she sleeps. 

Because those moments are just as important as sending in a long over due correction to my taxes or starting on my next order. 

I notice that if I stop and give myself space I am able to do more, be more productive, focused, calm and happy. 

Happy.

Happiness leads to inspiration, which leads to creativity, which in turn leads to more happy feelings = how I want to live!

Making space in my brain for rest is a daily medition (challenge). Reminding myself that stopping is acceptable, not laziness, that stopping is about taking care of me so I can be the best version of myself.

New Years Resolution: 

STOP, just for a moment. Breathe, exhale and let it go for now. 

Have you stopped today?