Life's Little Instruction Book, Abridged: Part I

A few of my favorites, courtesy Life's Little Instruction Book by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. Ones I need to work on, remind myself of, or just plain like are bolded; my stream of consciousness as I read through Brown's exhaustive list is denoted in minuscule italics.

1. Compliment three people every day.. or one; baby steps.
2. Watch a sunrise at least once a year.
3. Remember other people's birthdays and wish them a happy birthday.
4. Sing in the shower if no one's listening.
5. Learn a card trick or two or three.
6. Plant flowers every spring & eventually work your way up to a full fledged garden.
7. Be the first to say, "Hello." ..one of these days.
8. Live beneath your means.
9. Drive inexpensive cars, but own the best house you can afford *economical cars.
10. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
11. Floss your teeth EVERY.NIGHT.AND.EVERY.MORNING.
12. Drink champagne for no reason at all ..if not for no reason at all, at least to feel sophisticated every now and again.
13. If in a fight, hit first and hit hard, really hard.
14. Return all things you borrow.
15. Never buy a house without a fireplace for Santa's sake.. & for cozy nights.
16. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
17. Learn to identify the music of Chopin, Mozart, and Beethoven.
18. Take lots of snapshots. Film is captured forever.
19. Don't postpone joy.
20. Write "thank you" notes promptly. On hand-crafted cards. Mailed postal.
21. Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen every day.
22. Give thanks before every meal.
23. Don't waste time learning the "tricks of the trade." Instead, learn the trade.
24. Keep a tight rein on your temper (If I could triple bold this, I SO would.)
25. Take out the garbage without being told.
26. Avoid overexposure to the sun, unless you want to be a walking stick of burnt cancer.
27. Vote for any and everything you possibly can.
28. Surprise loved ones with little unexpected gifts. Remember, there ARE loved ones in your life.
29. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
30. Admit your mistakes and never make them again.
31. Use your wit to amuse, not abuse.
32. Remember that all news is biased.
33. Take a photography course. Film is captured forever.
34. Don't make the same mistake twice.
35. Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference ..I need to model my life after this one.
36. Learn to make something beautiful with your hands. Never forget how, and make something beautiful for both you and others as often as you can.
37. Avoid sarcastic remarks. Sometimes.
38. In business and in family relationships, remember that the most important thing is trust.
39. Don't smoke. It smells like crap, turns your teeth into crap, and kills like crap.
40. Even if you're financially well-to-do, have your children earn and pay part of their college tuition. Don't let them take anything for granted. Everything that matters is worth working for.
41. Even if you're financially well-to-do, have your children earn and pay for all their automobile insurance. It sucks, but makes me feel a tiny bit more like a grown up. Thank you, parents. Every six months I hear my bank account cry out in agony.
42. Recycle old newspapers, bottles, and cans. Be green.
43. Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come ninety percent of all your happiness or misery. Ninety percent is A LOT.
44. Make it a habit to do nice things for people who'll never find out. ..I should also model my life after this one.
45. Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.
46. Never buy a beige car. Very true. Mission accomplished.
47. Use credit cards only for convenience, never for credit.
48. Take a brisk thirty-minute walk every day. ..or something physical. Anything.
49. Never cheat , lie or steal.
50. Smile a lot. It costs nothing and is beyond price.
51. Know how to drive a stick shift. This would come in handy, especially if you're being pursued by a thug and your only mode of escape is a manual vehicle.
52. Decide to get up thirty minutes earlier. Do this for a year, and you will add seven and one-half days to your waking world. Early bird >> night owl.
53. Never use profanity.
54. Put a lot of little marshmallows in your hot chocolate ..particularly when it's cold outside, and if there's snow.. MANDATORY.
55. Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
56. Wear audacious underwear under the most solemn business attire ..no one but you will ever know!
57. Remember people's names and faces, too, if your brain can handle it.
58. Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.
59. Give yourself an hour to cool off before responding to someone who has provoked you. If it involves something really important, give yourself overnight. ..or else: HULK. SMASH.
60. Pay your bills on time.
61. Keep a flashlight and extra batteries under the bed and in the glove box of your car. My car needs a lot of things..
62. Give people the benefit of the doubt.
63. Strive for excellence, not perfection. Perfection is overrated anyways.
64. Take time to smell the roses.
65. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
66. Be tough minded but tenderhearted.
67. Use seat belts. ..not just when you drive, either.
68. Keep your desk and work area neat. Scratch that. Keep EVERYTHING neat.
69. Be punctual and insist on it in others. Insist, but don't pester.
70. Don't waste time responding to your critics. Ask yourself: Is it even worth it? Probably not.
71. Avoid negative people, and don't be a negative person yourself.
72. Resist telling people how something should be done. Instead, tell them what needs to be done. They will often surprise you with creative solutions. No one likes a dictator.
73. Be original.
74. Be neat.
75. Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.
76. Give people a second chance, but not a third, and most certainly not a fourth or fifth.
77. Read carefully anything that requires your signature. Remember the big print giveth and the small print taketh away.
78. Never take action when you're angry. HULK. No SMASH?
79. Learn to recognize the inconsequential, then ignore it.
80. Do battle against prejudice and discrimination wherever you find it.
81. Be romantic when romance comes calling.
82. Let people know what you stand for—and what you won't stand for.
83. Be insatiably curious. Ask "why" a lot.
84. Measure people by the size of their hearts, not the size of their bank accounts.
85. Have good posture. Enter a room with purpose and confidence.
86. Drink low fat milk. ..or in my case, low fat lactose-free milk. It tastes SO good.
87. Use less salt. So. Difficult. Though.
88. Eat less red meat no matter how mind-blowingly tender, juicy, and perfect it looks.
89. Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
90. Don't carry a grudge. Unless, of course, that whole third, fourth, fifth chance thing (#76) is in play.
91. Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.
92. Give your best to your employer. It's one of the best investments you can make.
93. Commit yourself to constant self-improvement.
94. Don't allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It's there for your
convenience, not the caller's. Turn off technology any chance you can.
95. Don't waste time grieving over past mistakes. Learn from them and move on.
96. When complimented, a sincere "thank you" is the only response required.
97. Be a good loser.
98. Be a good winner.
99. Never go grocery shopping when you're hungry. You'll buy too much. Unless you really can't live without those 3 boxes of cookies, giant tub of ice cream, and 24 pack of pop.
100. Spend less time worrying who's right, and more time deciding what's right. ..b/c deep down, you know it's always you. ;)

Look for part 2 of my favs in the near future.