This list is not complete, by any means, but I thought I’d go ahead and post it…
- Live life to the fullest. The best is there to be reached, not regretted.
- Learn from your mistakes, but never let them tie you down. Your past has shaped you, but it is not you now.
- Grow up slow–take in every moment, ’cause you’ll never have them again.
- Relish every happening, good and bad. The good are there as gifts, and the bad as signposts–quickly left, easily pointed to. Those moments make you stronger.
- Feel with all you are. Sadness is as legitimate as happiness, and one cannot be defined without the other. Embrace emotion; without it, we are little more than machines.
- Great pain indicates great love. If it didn’t matter before, it wouldn’t hurt now. Whether fast and sharp or slow and numbing, that pain serves as testament to how you have loved.
- Love is real. Don’t ever forget that. Don’t let the world drive it out of you. Love is essential to our being, and it is a contiual learning process.
- Belief is essential. You’ve got to believe that the sun will rise again, that you will wake up, that God is still here, that you can’t see it all now. Don’t stop believing, no matter what they say, no matter how hard it gets.
- Unconditionality starts with you, every day. People are led by example; when they see something good, they imitate it. Never turn away, never give up on another, and you’ll find friends all around to help you through life’s rough spots.
- Be teachable, but always remember who you are. The world may teach you a hundred new ideas, but only you can choose to accept or reject them. Don’t give that right away to anyone.
- Never dismiss someone as “wrong” right away; listen to what they have to say. They may be speaking truth from a completely new viewpoint you’ve never seen.
- Always reach for truth, and give second chances for honesty. Just because someone has lied, that doesn’t make them incapable of truth. Truth among lies is like a rose among thorns: it is worth a few scratches, even many cuts, to reach for it.
- Never assume you have the whole picture. There may be circumstances you know nothing about influencing you circumstances.
- Look for the new knowledge gained through every experience, good or bad. Even if it’s only a warning, don’t ignore what you can learn.
- Sing. Sing your heart out and don’t let anyone tell you your song is not good enough. It is an expression of your heart, your very soul, and that is always good enough.
- You’re never too old to play. No matter who says otherwise, don’t stop having fun.
- Seize truth wherever you find it. In a cartoon, on a billboard, or in a rock song, truth is still truth, and it is precious.
- Live your life as a radical expression of love. Only One has been able to do it perfectly, but those who try are loved and respected by many.
- Dance for joy every chance you get, and don’t worry about who sees you. Their disapproval may really be jealousy.
- Never miss a chance to do something good. You may not have that chance again.
- Don’t be afraid to talk to people, and don’t isolate yourself from them. Every interaction is a chance to model your relationship with God: love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, gentleness.
- Live your life as a hug from God: going through life giving out encouragement, love, and restoration.
- Restoration is a beautiful thing. There is possibly no greater feeling than that of knowing that even though you have wronged someone, hurt them deeply, and damaged your relationship, that they not only forgive you, but they have fully taken you back to where you were before, just as if hadn’t happened; that they don’t forgive you and hold you at arm’s length, but instead they bring you back into their embrace and hold you guiltless.
- Accusation goes best hand in hand with self accusation. Before you get into “what they’ve done”, accept blame for what you’ve done. Even if there seems to be nothing, at least examine the situation for bad reactions, or things you may have done that served as a trigger. They are responsible for their actions, as you are for yours.
- Apologies go best with humility. Giving the other person more rights than you have, holding them higher than yourself, shows that you genuinely are sorry for what you’ve done.
- Look for the “walking wounded” in your life. There are some who are torn apart inside, who walk around bleeding emotionally, who act like nothing’s wrong. You know them. You love them. You may not even realise how they’ve been hurt, but they need you. Don’t let them pass by again like nothing ever happened.
