Words of Wisdom – Seven Things

Now that I’ve been around the block, have a few years under my belt, have seen a lot, and other clichés, I’ve acquired valuable information about life that I wish I’d known a lot earlier. I narrowed them down to the seven best, because lists of sevens are easy to remember. Here they are:

1. Be on time – It took me a while to learn this one, but it makes life better all around. First of all, it’s just plain courteous to others to show up on time. Secondly, being on time (or even early) means you can get settled, take a breath, and not miss a thing.
2. Follow the instructions – If instructions weren’t necessary, why would anyone go through the trouble to write them? Much better to pay attention and follow the instructions rather than dealing with the headaches and wasted time that result when you don’t. I still need to get better at this with recipes.
3. Be earnest – Anything done with good intentions is worth doing. Although this is not without exception (meddlers), many of the unexpected good things that have come into my life have happened after a series of earnest acts on my part, performed without expectation of reward.
4. Be friendly – Peace Pilgrim, the woman who walked across the country multiple times in the name of peace said, “If you want friends, be friendly.” We sometimes assume that everyone else has it together more than we do, but most people have an aversion to being rejected, so if you are welcoming to others, they are more likely to want to be around you.
5. Check your actions – You know those cartoons where an angel is whispering in one ear and the devil is doing the same in the other? Most of us can relate to times when we’ve had to decide between two alternatives. In an ethics workshop years ago, I learned some valuable advice that I carry with me today and have passed on to my children. “Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want to read about on the front page of the New York Times.”
6. Check your words – My mother repeated to me over and over as I was growing up, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Of course, there’s a reason she had to keep telling me. As I’ve matured, though, I’ve realized the wisdom in that sentence, and it is also very liberating to know that I don’t always have to provide an opinion or have an answer.
7. Listen – You may have heard the advice to listen more than you talk, but if everyone did that, it wouldn’t work out, mathematically, would it? So, just being aware of how much you are speaking vs. listening has value. And don’t be afraid of pauses in conversation. Those might just be the moments when the other person comes out with something brilliant.

I hope this list holds value for you. I know it’s been a helpful exercise for me. You can easily memorize the seven bits of advice and keep them top of mind as you navigate your winding road. Do you have tips to add to my list? Please share them in the comments below. I’m always learning.