A list of life's to do's...
With the anniversaries of 9/11 and the senseless deaths of so many incredible people/heroes. The after-effects in the World thirteen years later, still serve as an opened wound and a painful reminder that life is so precious. I had composed a list of things over the years that I found myself "suggesting" to my kids when different circumstances occurred related to school, boys, sports, drama club, etc. After I had compiled them all, I thought it was a pretty good guideline on how to successfully interact with others in personal life, and every day business encounters...
1. Tread lightly on new ground. Observe and assess your surroundings before you take action.
2. When you find yourself nervous and insecure around a particular person, show an interest in them. Expressing interest in others and making others feel important and makes you way more likable than the guy who always wants to talk about himself.
3. Each day perform a random act of kindness.
4. Trust your instincts. Go with your gut.
5. ALWAYS leap with faith.
6. Set boundaries. Divide them into the "ME" list and the "THEM" list. The first list includes the boundaries you have set for yourself. The other is the boundaries you have set for others. Set them firmly for all parties.
7. The only thing you should ever plan to quit is WHINING!
8. Be honest with yourself. It's the only way to be honest with others.
9. When you don't know the answer to a question, ask! Ask the other person to clarify something for you. "Is it this or is it that? This sets the stage for an explanation as opposed to a short answer. It makes the other person feel smart and demonstrates your thorough approach through "clarification" of something.
10. Don't piss off your mother. She hold the keys to your car and the password to your cell phone.
11. Be a friend...a good one with only good intentions and a kind heart.
12. Start your day with a prayer.
13. Let passion drive you to work hard to achieve your dreams.
14. No matter what anyone thinks, everyone must start somewhere. The best job you could ever have is the one you are over qualified for and the one that eventually leads you to the top to that dream.
15. Everybody has a story. Listen to it as it will reveal more than you know.
16. Be compassionate.
17. Clean your room make your bed every morning and pull the shades up to let the sunshine in.
17. Boys are stupid. They need boundaries. It order to keep them educated, set boundaries from the very beginning and set them firmly.
18. Pray for the boys.
19. Whether it is you, a friend, family member or an acquaintance, Don't ever tolerate bad behavior. If it makes you feel bad, it is.
20. Stop. Look. Listen. Evaluate. If you let life take charge, things begin to spiral out of control. Take charge of your life.
21. Never be too busy for family or friends. Strangers too. You never know when you may need their help. It's called Karma!
22. Always introduce yourself if someone doesn't. Shake their hand and shake it firmly.
23. Whether you enjoyed an experience or not, chalk it up as just that. It will come up in conversation at some point in your life. The more experience you have the more interesting you are.
24. If you make a commitment to an individual or a team, keep it.
25. If you start it, finish it.
26. Set your friendship criteria. Use it wisely when friending on FB.
27. If someone starts talking smack about anyone, regardless of how you feel about someone, always respond to the trash talker as follows: "I don't know what you are talking about, I actually like that person a lot". It puts a halt to the nonsense immediately.
28. Be grateful.
29. Your fingers are always fatter when participating in social media stalking. Don't do it.
30. Be a leader who encourages others to lead not follow.
31. Observe the surroundings, find a prop and stand there.
32. Be adaptable.
33. You are not invincible.
34. Never forget.
