Monday, September 15th, 2008
Life Lessons
So, having reached that significant landmark of 50, it occured to me that I may have some things to share. Most are words of wisdom that I have learned over the years. Credit will be given to the sage advisor when I'm able to remember the source. Otherwise, just the nugget of truth or humor will be posted.
"Life's not easy and life's not fair. The sooner you realize that; the better off you'll be." Aunt Mary Ellen
"This too shall pass." Grandma 'Sunshine' Ruth
"You can't spend the same money twice. Lord knows we've tried." (not sure where I learned this, but it is true)
"If you can't say something nice......Reply: 'That's interesting!' " My Mom (she actually never told me that. It's just a polite practice of hers)
"Happiness comes not from finding the right person, but from becoming the right person" (I've tried to teach this to all of my children. I didn't learn it until almost 30 years old)
"You can't chase 2 rabbits and catch either one." Mary Kay Ash (the adage is good, but don't get me started on a discussion of the company. I was involved for 7 years from '79 to '86. Still use the products. Not too pleased with the corporate direction in recent years. If anyone is curious, check out: pinktruth.com)
"Life is like a box of chocolates" (You know who said it. I just wanted an excuse to bring up chocolate!)
"It'll all come out in the wash." Sister-in-Law Debbie (this is the companion to: "You reap what you sow." and "What goes around, comes around.")
"The grass is always greener on the other side...until you have to mow it!" (I do take credit for this one. It helped me gain perspective during a very difficult time in my life.)
"Always expect the best and you will get it. Look for the good and you will find it" My whole family
These are only a small sample of the collective wisdom of my life.
What special sayings have shaped your philosophy?
Life Lessons
So, having reached that significant landmark of 50, it occured to me that I may have some things to share. Most are words of wisdom that I have learned over the years. Credit will be given to the sage advisor when I'm able to remember the source. Otherwise, just the nugget of truth or humor will be posted.
"Life's not easy and life's not fair. The sooner you realize that; the better off you'll be." Aunt Mary Ellen
"This too shall pass." Grandma 'Sunshine' Ruth
"You can't spend the same money twice. Lord knows we've tried." (not sure where I learned this, but it is true)
"If you can't say something nice......Reply: 'That's interesting!' " My Mom (she actually never told me that. It's just a polite practice of hers)
"Happiness comes not from finding the right person, but from becoming the right person" (I've tried to teach this to all of my children. I didn't learn it until almost 30 years old)
"You can't chase 2 rabbits and catch either one." Mary Kay Ash (the adage is good, but don't get me started on a discussion of the company. I was involved for 7 years from '79 to '86. Still use the products. Not too pleased with the corporate direction in recent years. If anyone is curious, check out: pinktruth.com)
"Life is like a box of chocolates" (You know who said it. I just wanted an excuse to bring up chocolate!)
"It'll all come out in the wash." Sister-in-Law Debbie (this is the companion to: "You reap what you sow." and "What goes around, comes around.")
"The grass is always greener on the other side...until you have to mow it!" (I do take credit for this one. It helped me gain perspective during a very difficult time in my life.)
"Always expect the best and you will get it. Look for the good and you will find it" My whole family
These are only a small sample of the collective wisdom of my life.
What special sayings have shaped your philosophy?
Jess - please repost on your site if you want. Deleted from my page due to length and stark difference in our spiritual beliefs. ~YammaSue
Happy Birthday!
Work is better--even with the horrible week last week watching friends lose their jobs and others be repositioned (a lovely way of saying treated badly and being forced into other jobs that are basically a demotion). It really challenged me and even more one of the ones who lost her job.
But, we'd been talking positive thinking for weeks and she said that is what got her through it all with a focus to make lemonade out of lemons and see the potential rather than the loss of something. That tells me even more that it works--that kind of thing punches you in the belly. Feeling safe in a job one day and being out of it the next with no warning. That's my current adage and philosophy.
The other one was shared with me years ago by a very good friend when I was making a cross-country trip. A little piece called "The Station". I shared it with Denny when he graduated. It says two things to me; don't focus on the destination and miss all the good things on the trip while getting there, and don't put all your eggs in one basket and feel a destination is "it". If you think that a job or a marriage or a lottery winning will be "it" for you--you will be disappointed and maybe miss a great chance with some other opportunity or life in general. Denny mentioned not long ago that he still has that piece. I like being able to pass that one to him and many others over the years. Thank you, Paula, for giving me that message years ago. :)
"You can control your destiny, but not your fate." --my late father, Howard "Jack" Burton from "Questions For My Father"
"Everybody Poops." --Dr. Mehmet Oz, my hero! :O)
Reap respect, sow respect. --me, and I live by this every day with my children.
And lastly, my quote since 1995: "I read and walked for miles at night along the beach, writing bad blank verses and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person would be me." --Anna Quindlen
things can always be worse.. just try to fix it and move on.
-My Grandfather after I came home with a broken nose.
It's not exactly poetry, but it kept me out of trouble!
Happy Birthday
After reading "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch, I have to include a saying he mentions a couple of times in the book. "Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you are right". More famously accredited to Henry Ford.
"Put a sweater on. I'm cold"
My dad always says, "Wherever you go in life, there you are." or "The main 'thang' is to maintain." or "Don't worry about everything because anything will be alright"
How about another tip... don't fry bacon naked!
Someone told me once "it is easy if you know how to do it". I thought, well, that's obvious! But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense and helps me when I get frustrated or impatient with someone who is doing something that to me is easy because I already know how to do it. When I feel annoyed about not doing something right--it helps me feel better that it will be easy when I know how to do it. :)