something to remember

Just a few simple truths we learn on the road of life…

1. The route to our destination is never a straight one. – We take questionable turns and we get lost.  But it doesn’t always matter which road we embark on; what matters is that we embark.  Either way life will likely get a little complicated, and bring unexpected hurdles and changes.  But that’s okay.  Sometimes you have to stumble and feel weak for a little while to realize how strong you really are.  Read Tuesdays with Morrie.
2. Real friends won’t ask you to change who you are. – The RIGHT people for you will love all the things about you that the WRONG people are intimidated by.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be patient, keep being your awesome self, and pretty soon the RIGHT people will love the REAL you.
3. Cheating is a choice, not a mistake, and not an excuse. – If you decide to cheat, and you succeed in cheating someone out of something,don’t think that this person is a fool.  Realize that this person trusted you much more than you ever deserved, and they learned a lesson about who you really are.
4. The past can’t hurt you anymore – not unless you let it. – Forgive and move on!  Forgiveness allows you to focus on the future without combating the past.  Without forgiveness, wounds can never be healed, and moving on can never be accomplished.  What happened in the past is just one chapter.  Don’t close the book, just turn the page.  Cry when you must and push forward.  Let your tears water the seeds of your future growth and happiness.
5. Adversity will come to every person at some point. – How you meet it, what you make of it, and what you allow it to take from you and give to you is determined by your mental habits and personal choices.  In short, you can’t change the cards you were dealt, just how you play the hand.  Read The Last Lecture.
6. Sometimes things fall apart so better things can fall together.– When things fall apart, consider the possibility that life knocked it down on purpose.  Not to bully you, or to punish you, but to prompt you to build something that better suits your personality and your purpose.
7. Someone else doesn’t have to be wrong for you to be right. – Keep an open mind.  The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know.  We all have our own unique path and feelings.  When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.  It’s one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it’s another to think that yours is the only path.
8. Everything has been just the way it needed to be. – In life, we do lots of things.  Some we wish we could take back.  Some we wish we could relive a thousand times.  All of these things, positive and negative, have taught us important lessons and have collectively made us into the person we are today.  If we were to reverse or adjust any of them, we wouldn’t be who we are; we would be somebody else.  So just live, make mistakes, make memories, and take chances.  Never second guess who you are or where you’ve been.
9. Silence is often the loudest cry. – There’s always some truth behind ‘just kidding,’ knowledge behind ‘I don’t know,’ emotion behind ‘I don’t care,’ and pain behind: ‘It’s okay.’  So pay close attention to how people feel, especially those you care for most.  And remember, silence is often the loudest cry.  Sometimes what a person needs most is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
10. The difference between where you are and where you want to be, is what you do. – What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.  Don’t wait until everything is just right; it will never be perfect.  There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions.  But with each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more skilled, more confident, and more successful.  So start doing what you need to do today.  Life is a courageous journey or nothing at all.  We usually can’t become who we want to be by continuing to do what we’ve been doing.  Read The Power of Habit.
11. It’s not who you are that holds you back, it who you think you’re not. – Judging yourself is not the same as being honest with yourself.  Don’t sell yourself short!  You are capable of great things.  And don’t ever let someone else make you feel like you’re not good enough.  If they can’t see how amazing you are, then they’re the one who’s not good enough for you.  Their approval is not needed.
12. Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. – Smile through the hard times, even though it doesn’t always seem to get any better.  A smile is the first step to fixing things.  The trick is to enjoy life by noticing what’s right.  Don’t wish away your days waiting for better times ahead.  Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you.  Right now is life.  Don’t miss it.

from: marc and angel