These "45 lessons life has taught me" were originally written by Regina Brett in Cleveland, Ohio to celebrate getting older. She is now 90 and once again shared them with her readers. They are a great outlook on life, and definitely words we should live by. With the hustle & bustle of our daily routines we tend to forget them.
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 – enjoy it.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.
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. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19.. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all 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. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
Here's another one I would add to the list
Friends are the family that we choose.
Wouldn't some of these look great in cross stitch / needlepoint? My preference would be to needlepoint them into a pillow. I have charted one of these, and will add the chart to my "when I have time" or "when I'm retired" pile of patterns.
I have listed some fibre suggestions, but they are strictly suggestions. Let your creativity soar and make it your own. As for the buttons, Just Another Button Company has Chocolate treat buttons as does Dress It Up. The later ones are wearable shank buttons and will not break, so they may be better suited for a pillow.
We carry both button lines in the shop.
Here is the package that I would use. It is by Dress It Up buttons, #6544 "Decadence" (how fitting).
This package is only $3.95
If any of you beat me to stitching this chart, I would love to see it.
And if you have any other words of wisdom, please share.
