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45 lessons life has taught me

Columnist Ruth Scoullar couldn't resist submitting this amazing list

Since receiving this

e-mail last March I felt

it is just too good not to

pass on. It was written

by 90 year old Regina

Bett of Plain Dealer,

Cleveland, Ohio to celebrate

growing older.

1. Life isn’t fair, but

it’s still good.

2. When in doubt,

just take the next small

step.

3. Life is too short –

enjoy it.

4. Your job won’t

take care of you when

you are sick.

Your friends and

family will.

5. Pay off your credit

cards every month.

6. You don’t have to

win every argument.

Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone.

It’s more healing than

crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get

angry with God. He

can take it.

9. Save for retirement

starting with your first

pay check.

10. When it comes to

chocolate, resistance is

futile.

11. Make peace with

your past so it won’t

screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let

your children see you

cry.

13. Don’t compare

your life to others. You

have no idea what their

journey is all about.

14. If a relationship

has to be a secret, you

shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can

change in the blink of

an eye but don’t worry,

God never blinks.

16. Take a deep

breath. It calms the

mind.

17. Get rid of

anything that isn’t

useful. Clutter

weighs you down

in many ways.

18. Whatever

doesn’t kill you

really does make

you stronger.

19. It’s never too

late to be happy.

But it’s all up to

you and no one else.

20. When it comes to

going after what you

love in life, don’t take

no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles,

use the nice sheets,

wear the fancy lingerie.

Don’t save it for a special

occasion. Today is

special.

22. Over prepare

then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now.

Don’t wait for old age

to wear purple.

25. No one is in

charge of your happiness

but you.

26. Frame every socalled

disaster with

these words ’In five

years, will this matter?”

27. Always choose

life.

28. Forgive.

29. What other people

think of you is

none of your business.

30. Time heals almost

everything. Give

time.

31. However good

or bad a situation is,

it will change.

32. Don’t take your

self so seriously. No

one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you

because of who God

is, not because of anything

you did or didn’t

do.

35. Don’t audit life.

Show up and make the

most of it now.

36. Growing old

beats the alternative

of dying young.

37. Your children get

only one childhood.

38. All that truly

matters in the end is

that you loved.

39. Get outside every

day. Miracles are waiting

everywhere.

40. If we all threw

our problems in a

pile and saw everyone

else’s, we’d grab ours

back.

41. Envy is a waste

of time. Accept what

you already have, Not

what you want.

42. The best is yet to

come…

43. No matter how

you feel, get up, dress

up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied

with a bow but it’s still

a gift.

Ruth Scoullar is a

seniors’ advocate and

regular Observer contributor