Life's Little Instructions #4

Here's some more of Life's Little Instructions, from 151-200.

151. Get acquainted with a good lawyer, accountant, and plumber.

154. Resist the temptation to put a cute message on your answering machine

155. Have a will and tell your next of kin where it is

156. Strive for excellence, not perfection. (Sometimes I wonder if they're not just two sides of the same coin)

157. Take time to smell the roses (Can I grow 'em too?)

158. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage (This might work- if I actually prayed anymore)

162. Keep your desk and work area neat (As any of my friends will tell you, I'm constantly losing the battle to get this done)

163. Take an overnight train trip and sleep in a Pullman

164. Be punctual and insist on it in others

168. Resist telling people how something should be done. Instead, tell them WHAT needs to be done. They will often surprise you with creative solutions

170. Be neat (Again- a losing battle)

171. Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts (So where does the persons with the useless trivia come in?)

173. Be kinder than necessary

174. Encourage your children to havbe a part-time job after the age of sixteen

175. Give people a second chance, but not a third

177. Never take action when you're angry (Do I have to?)

178. Learn to recognize the inconsequential, then ignore it

182. Be romantic

184. Don't quit a job until you've lined up another

185. Never criticize the person who signs your paycheck. If you are unhappy with your job- resign

186. Be insatiably curious. Ask "why" a lot

188. Be the most positive and enthusiastic person you know (This one'll be one of the harder ones to do)

189. Learn how to fix a leaky faucet and toilet

190. Have good posture. Enter a room with purpose and confidence

191. Don't worry that you can't give your kids the best of everything. Give them your best

195. Determine the quality of a neighborhood by the manners of the people living there

197. Don't forget- a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated (I put this one in as much from myself as to others)

198. Feed a stranger's expired parking meter

199. Park at the back of the lot at shopping malls. The walk is good exercise.