60 Things

Being as I will soon be 62, I thought I’d make a list of the 60 things I’ve learned during those years.

In no particular order:

1. The most important sex organ is the brain. This may vary for men, but for me, it works.
2. Nice matters.
3. All knowledge is worth having.
4. If a relationship has to be secret, it’s not a relationship.
5. When in doubt, don’t. Wait a bit, see what happens, gather more info.
6. Vote “No” on money issues until you fully understand the issue.
7. Your job won’t take care of you when you’re sick. Your friends and family will. Stay in touch.
8. No one is in charge of your attitude except you. So take charge.
9. Hungry people need food before they need anything else or can do anything else.
10. Don’t save your special things for special occassions. Today is special.
11. Party often with well-loved friends.
12. Don’t just talk about doing something. Do it.
13. Eat chocolate every day.
14. Indulge in your imagination.
15. Writers write. Carpenters build. Painters paint. Find what you are, then be it.
16. What other people think of you is none of your business.
17. What you think of yourself is your business.
18. Whatever’s happening now won’t last forever.
19. You don’t have to win every argument.
20. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. Be prepared.
21. Don’t let others define who you are.
22. Time really does heal all wounds, but not if you keep picking at the scabs.
23. Live in the moment, but plan for the future.
24. Remember the past, but don’t live in it.
25. Don’t compare your life to others’; you have no idea what they have faced and have yet to face.
26. Start preparing for your retirement before you turn 18 – and don’t let anyone else control your retirement funds but you.
27. Learn to budget.
28. Life is a gift, and each day is a new revelation.
29. Your word is ultimately all you really have, so take good care of it.
30. Courage, faith, and lunch with friends are important.
31. The more often you see friends and family, the less shocked you are by the changes.
32. Life is not fair, which is why we should do all we can to even the odds.
33. Your enemies are your potential friends; be open to that.
34. Your life is your responsibility; but help is always nice.
35. It’s easier to insist on being wrong than it is to admit ignorance.
36. We get some kind of weather nearly every day. That’s so we always have at least one thing to talk about.
37. Keep doing openly what’s not socially acceptable and eventually society will change – or you’ll be killed.
38. The true artist is the one who insists on creating a supply even if there is no demand.
39. It takes courage to say no. Or yes. Or sometimes, anything at all. Be courageous.
40. If you go through life too fast, it will all be a blur.
41. If you don’t do it today, what will you have to be glad or sorry about tomorrow?
42. For some, success depends on being well-known; for others, it depends on never being found out.
43. It’s possible to be able to do something very well that nobody ever wants done. Don’t let that stop you from doing it.
44. Everyone has a birthday in the same year, so celebrate!
45. Reasonable thought can only go so far, then you must either be unreasonable or stop thinking. I prefer to be unreasonable.
46. People who need to get older are luckier than people who need to get younger.
47. People born into happy families speak love as their native language, but that doesn’t mean others can’t learn to speak love as well.
48. Babies are made in a few months, but it takes 80 years to make an 80 year old.
49. It costs money to stay healthy, but it costs a fortune to be sick.
50. Take care of all you love – and try to love that for which you must care.
51. So many possibilities have come true in my lifetime that I’m willing to believe almost anything.
52. Don’t destroy the hypocrisy of Christmas – that’s the fun part.
53. A smile is one of the greatest sights in the world, and it’s free.
54. If you keep putting off decisions, someone will make them for you – and you might not like them.
55. There are no important differences between men and women; it’s the unimportant ones that are fascinating.
56. In a democracy, every little idea can grow up to be national policy. That’s why we need to be vigilant, so we can weed out the wrong ones before the roots grow too deeply.
57. Noise is more fun to make than to hear, so keep that in mind when someone else’s noise annoys you.
58. If you teach someone the meaning of freedom, they will find a way to be free.
59. Use facts. You can prove anything that’s even remotely true with facts.
60. There is no Truth – only stories.