Things I Wish I Knew 10 Years Ago

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Life is too short to waste time doing that.

2. Don’t ever let anyone make you think or feel that you’re not good enough, smart enough or pretty enough. You are FABULOUS! (Yes, this has happened to me more times than I care to remember.)

3. Even at your lowest low, remember there are people who love you.

4. You can never love someone too much. Love deeply, passionately and with your whole heart. Never be afraid to show someone how you feel and be sure to tell them how important they are to you.

5. Life isn’t like the fairy tales you read as a child. Write your own fairy tale, live it and be proud of it.

6. Always respect yourself and those around you.

7. Love yourself and have faith in yourself. If you don’t, no one else will either.

8. Sometimes you just have to take a chance and go for broke. It could end up being a mistake, but it’ll teach you a valuable lesson in the long run.

9. Life does not come with guarantees, time outs or “do-overs” so, when you do make a mistake, suck it up. Own up to it and apologize. Don’t try to blame others for your mistakes.

10. Make every second count.

11. Don't ever settle for someone because you will live to regret it every day. Find. Your. Soulmate. You will kiss a lot of frogs (and toads, snakes and other reptiles) along the way. Try not to get too discouraged. Boys are just dumb sometimes.

12. Live your life in such a manner that, after you're gone, you'll be remembered for who you were and how you lived and not how you died.

13. Express yourself. We’re all different. Instead of being ashamed (or afraid) of it, show it off a little.

14. You’ll hit some rough patches. Well, let’s not mince words here, you’re going to go through Hell, but you’re a fighter and you’re going to pull through because of it.

15. Laugh every day. It’s very therapeutic! Making others laugh is an added bonus because you’ll feel good about putting a smile on someone else’s face.

16. Work to live, don’t live to work. Good work/life balance is vital.

17. Family is not only your blood relatives. Family is also the important people in your life who stand by you through the good, the bad and the really bad, regardless of any familial ties. Love your family and your chosen family with every fiber of your being.

18. Alter your attitude and you can alter your life.

19. Use your words wisely. They are your greatest tool in showing the world who you really are so WRITE ON!

20. I wish I knew where this list was 10 years ago.


My entry for "Listography Contest (ROUND 4 OPEN)" . The prompt is "Things I Wish I Knew 10 Years Ago". The word count is 472.

Written 7/12/2011 and inspired by my blog entry, "Hello, me! It’s future me. I have some advice for you." , which came from a prompt in the "30-Day Blogging Challenge" . Special thanks to Jakrebs for pointing out this contest and suggesting that I enter my list.

Here's a song that fits #12. I'm not a country music fan, but this is an excellent song about living like you were dying. I'm big on lyrics, that's why I like it so much. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSE8NJHn7ss