45 Lessons of Life from a 90 Year old.

Scarlett
By Scarlett

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The
Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:"

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".
26. Always choose life.
27. Forgive everyone everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
32. Believe in miracles.
33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
34. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
36. Your children get only one childhood.
37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd
grab ours back.
40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
41. The best is yet to come.
42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
43. Yield.
44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

By Dracula• 9 Oct 2009 21:37
Dracula

THIS is the so-called "corruption"!

By shoeaddict• 9 Oct 2009 21:32
shoeaddict

and if you need a pink pair of uggs for your pink thong,,,pm me...lol

By britexpat• 9 Oct 2009 21:21
britexpat

Uggs are so yesterday !

By shoeaddict• 9 Oct 2009 21:21
shoeaddict

yes i did..did i?(scratching my forehead) lol

By anonymous• 9 Oct 2009 21:18
anonymous

Ya I am sure you have missed point 5 shoeaddict...

By Dracula• 9 Oct 2009 21:15
Dracula

OK,Then: 5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

By shoeaddict• 9 Oct 2009 21:12
shoeaddict

just received my 2 pairs of winter uggs three days ago...lol

By Dracula• 9 Oct 2009 21:08
Dracula

stop buying shoessssss!!!!

By shoeaddict• 9 Oct 2009 21:01
shoeaddict

of holly and bolly,,,its 39...

gimme a break,,,lol(im old,,,cant read small fonts anymore):)

By rheeza• 9 Oct 2009 20:59
rheeza

nice one...

By anonymous• 9 Oct 2009 20:45
anonymous

Shoeaddict make up your mind, 38 or 39??

By shoeaddict• 9 Oct 2009 20:44
shoeaddict

you just made me teary eyed..(close to tears but hey im still smiling)

im keeping the no 39 rule in mind from now on.

thank you.

By britexpat• 9 Oct 2009 20:41
britexpat

Call me anytime you want a "tear Buddy" !

By kingmalik87• 9 Oct 2009 20:11
kingmalik87

By anonymous• 9 Oct 2009 20:06
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

It only worked for this one Lady, heero. Don't worry. Your history is different. You should not try to be like others!

By heero_yuy2• 9 Oct 2009 17:49
Rating: 3/5
heero_yuy2

Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

I haven't cried with someone yet. I always cry alone. There hasn't been one person who understood me in all my life (not even my past girfriends) that you're going to feel bursting out your tears when he/she's there. Not even many of my friends. Not even my grandma. Not even my mom. Not even any of the siblings.

I hope I'll get my first companion tears with my recent girlfriend in the the future.

Or maybe an offspring will bring me to tears in the future...but I haven't got one yet...

"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

By samia08• 9 Oct 2009 16:12
samia08

the best 1 for me is number 15; Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

By Scarlett• 9 Oct 2009 15:45
Scarlett

I've eaten chocolate covered ants and fried grasshoppers before but not live ones, unless you count the bugs that inadvertantly fly into your mouth and you swallow before you can cough them out..yuck..had that happen yesterday at the beach..teach ME to talk so much!!

Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

By anonymous• 9 Oct 2009 15:43
anonymous

lol britexpat :))

By britexpat• 9 Oct 2009 15:42
britexpat

At his last birthday, the Fire Service regarded his cake as a fire hazard and evacuated the area.

By Dracula• 9 Oct 2009 15:40
Rating: 2/5
Dracula

ohh..that's nothing, Scarlett!

Just tell us how you've learned eating bugs first time :)

Like a real bat! :P

By Scarlett• 9 Oct 2009 15:34
Scarlett

Thank YOU for ALLOWING me to be part of your family! Most families would have thrown me out a LONG time ago due to my antics!!

Also, thank you for teaching me to hang upside down by my toenails in the cave...wonderful trick, that one!!

Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

By Scarlett• 9 Oct 2009 15:32
Scarlett

now you see why I don't cut and paste very often!! I never get the last line!

twenty...if missing one line is the one thing I have done wrong in life, then I've had one hell of a good life!!

As far as being 90...nope, but have already hit the halfway point!!

Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

By Dracula• 9 Oct 2009 15:26
Dracula

1521, October 6!

By anonymous• 9 Oct 2009 15:22
anonymous

90?? Dracula crossed that in 1540 AD I think..

By Dracula• 9 Oct 2009 15:21
Dracula

"Smell the roses, blow out the candles"

Always remember to deep breathe!

By sentibhim• 9 Oct 2009 15:20
sentibhim

Dracula First u cross the age of 90 and Add the point.LOL

"Drink Beer Save Water"

By anonymous• 9 Oct 2009 15:20
anonymous

Thank you for sharing.... amazing and wish you all the best!!!!!!

By britexpat• 9 Oct 2009 15:19
britexpat

"Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need."

A wise lesson for m any expats..

By Dracula• 9 Oct 2009 15:19
Dracula

45. Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves :)

By twenty• 9 Oct 2009 15:18
twenty

Scarlett

u miss one point.

By Dracula• 9 Oct 2009 15:17
Rating: 3/5
Dracula

45. Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.

Thanks for being part of my family, Scarlett! :)

By anonymous• 9 Oct 2009 15:15
anonymous

Scarlett you are 90 years old??

Congrats on making this far :P

liked the points though..

By sentibhim• 9 Oct 2009 15:15
sentibhim

BTW there are only 44 points,Where is one ?

"Drink Beer Save Water"

By Scarlett• 9 Oct 2009 15:12
Scarlett

Yeah, I have something like that as a signature on my email. It says "Life isn't fair..its what you do with it that counts."

Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

By sentibhim• 9 Oct 2009 15:09
sentibhim

I like all the points.No1 is best.

Thanks For posting....

"Drink Beer Save Water"

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