Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio
“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:”
01. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
02. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
03. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
04. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
05. Pay off your credit cards every month.
06. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
07. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
08. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
09. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
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, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is 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.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness, but you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ”In five years, will this matter?”.
26. Always choose life.
27 Forgive everyone everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
32. Believe in miracles.
33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
34. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
35. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
36. Your children get only one childhood.
37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
41. The best is yet to come.
42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
43. Yield.
44. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
It’s estimated 93% won’t forward this. If you are one of the 7% who will, forward this with the title ‘7%’. I’m in the 7%. Remember that I will always share my spoon with you! Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves.
theres only 44…just saying
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19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.36. Your children get only one childhood.wait…what?
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i thought this was inspiring
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19 is about your own childhood but 36 is about appreciating your children’s childhood as a parent…you see the difference ? It means you can decide to relive your own childhood but your children wont stay children forever !
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“No one is in charge of your happiness, but you”.This is totally true.I’m kinda mad at my self coz it took soo long to me to realize that 🙂
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Great quotes but she isn’t 90, she’s in her 50’s. http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2007/09/regina_bretts_45_life_lessons.html
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the second one being your children’s
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Regina Brett is not 90. She’s 54. She does live in Cleveland and work for the Plain Dealer.
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these were all in a book -.- these is plagiarism
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Who cares.
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all matter in life
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saw this on another blog …
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bellissimo!
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It’s missing number 24. The most important sex organ is the brain! That’s why the numbers are all off. I have a copy of this I go and read so often… So good & so true!
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awesome!
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I love this…
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I’m just a scared little sissy, but GOD gave me four big burly men, whomI love with all of my heart, but I didn’t know what to do with them ,but I love them all
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Proof of a god? Still none!
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Your children only get one childhood… That is resonates with any parent. Take the time, enjoy your time together, money isn’t everything so don’t spend your life on the job while your kids grow up.
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I was like yes yes ! until: Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. nahhh
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the problem with it is that “it’s up to your to make your own childhood happy”while 36 implies that you, as a parent, should help make that childhood a happy one
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Life isnt tied with a bow but it is still a gift
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Forgive the ones who hurt you the most, and try to love them for there mistakes of hurting you in the process of it all, God says love everyone even the ones who mean so much to u at one time…still forgive them…hope they will do the same…
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isn’t regina brett 50 something?
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Smart old woman. But if i think a little…what old man/woman isn’t smart?
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No 45. Of all the good things happened to you. You could only find them in your past.
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It’s a fair mix. I like some of these, not all of them.
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meaning let your children be children. remember this lady is looking back and what was and wasnt…
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LOVE THIS! and I am sharing it!
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Sometime we miss the memories,not the person 😦http://sapnameratoota.blogspot.in/2013/05/quote-memories-destroy-us.html
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Loved reading from the first lesson to the last…:)
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Make me some soup, Grandma! Fill up my bottle!
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