Life's Lessons

You know those 'Life Lessons' pictures and posts you see make the rounds on Facebook?  Sometimes thoughtful, sometimes amusing, often trite... they usually just annoy me.  So along that vein here are some things I've learned, so far, in my own life:

• Only your dog loves you unconditionally, accepts each day for what it is and is happy to eat exactly the same thing for every meal.
• Most people don't want to hear about your problems... that's when you nod like a bobble head and just move on.
• The people you expect it from the least are usually the ones who are there when you've failed and need help picking up the pieces.  And failing is part of life so just accept that it will happen to you now and then.
• Having relatives and being part of a family aren't the same thing - blood may be thicker but water surely tastes better!
• Money can help soothe misery but it can't buy you happiness.  Happy and 'not miserable' are not the same thing either.

• Please and thank you are truly magic words when spoken from the heart.
• Take the risk!  Stuff that scares the crap out of you usually isn't that big of a deal once you actually do it.
• The voices inside your own head are always your harshest critics.
• There will be times when you feel like you just can't catch a break and times when it seems like everything comes easy.  Remember the easy times when life is hard but even more, remember the hard times when life is easy!
• The men in your life will leave the toilet seat up.  It's no bigger a deal for you to put it down than it is for them to put it up every trip to the bathroom.
• Own up to your mistakes.  Being honest is a heck of a lot easier than keeping all the lies straight.
• Learn to pick your battles.  Quite often whatever someone has done to make you angry is very very far from the worst thing they could have chosen to do.
• Yell, scream and stomp your feet very very rarely.  It's only effective when it's a surprise!
  
• Practical help always trumps good wishes.
• Sometimes what you get is not what you give or deserve.  There's a reason 'karma' isn't referred to as an angel...
• Smiling is a great reaction no matter what the situation.  It may not solve the problem, but it doesn't make it any worse and you get to make people wonder what you've got up your sleeve!
• The little things in life are the important ones.  You take care of the details and the big picture will take care of itself.
• When you are totally distracted by what you want now, you'll lose out on what you want most.
• Learn to talk with anyone and appreciate their life story.  There's less difference between you and them, no matter who they are, than you think.
• Never think you've seen it all.  Life takes that as a challenge!

(All photos without attribution on Pinterest.)