Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal from life’s little lessons. So others may benefit, I now pay forward my Top 10; they are:
- Respect self and others. We are our worst critic. How we perceive our selves often projects to others. So capitalize on strengths; create opportunities to strengthen weaknesses; learn from past mistakes; and most of all…always move forward.
- Live in the moment. Do not dwell on a past that cannot be undone and do not place too much emphasis on a future that may not occur. Rather, savor the moment. Using all your senses, take in the present moment. You not only become more aware of the people, places, and events in your life, but you also learn to appreciate and find wonder in everything and everyone in your life. And this is what creates a better tomorrow.
- Be realistic and always be real. Be honest and realistic about your shortcomings. In acknowledging your own imperfections, you not only acknowledge your realness to others, but you also permit others to be real with you.
- Be totally open. Openly share ALL your thoughts, feelings, and concerns with others. Do not have ANY expectations about how others might react; you are guaranteed to be wrong. What’s more, do not hold ANY details back; it not only creates disappointment, but it can prove to be misleading, too.
- Maintain balance. Place equal energy into all your life areas, be it individual, family, professional, spiritual, and/or love lives. All are meant to be lived harmoniously, not separately. Too much emphasis in any one life area creates imbalances in all other areas.
- Keep it simple. Often times we make things way more complicated than they need to be. Low tech may be better than high tech; face-to-face is always better than e-mails or phone calls; and self-checks are never frequent enough.
- Work as a team. No one was meant to go it alone. We are here to learn from one another. One person’s weakness, is another person’s strength. So collaborate, brainstorm, delegate, and/or outsource, where practical.
- You are the creator of your experiences – both positive and negative. Joys may be downplayed or celebrated. Life’s challenges may be viewed as punishments or a series of lessons from which much good could be found. It’s all in how you to choose to view your experiences.
- Take the road less taken. There is more than one way to do everything. Be open; assumptions only get you into trouble. Be creative; find the extraordinary in the ordinary and try new ways of performing everyday tasks. Schedule phone calls; make appointments with your self to go out to the park or to the beach; block out time each day to pray or reflect without interruption; and most of all … try a new route to work, school, or errands. All make a profound difference.
- Never stop learning. We can learn as much or as little as we want. It’s our choice to accept or limit our experiences. Continuously explore everything and from every vantage point, remembering always to experience it all with first time wonder.
And need I say it……..always maintain a sense of humor! Do you have any lessons from life you would like to add to this list? Feel free to share.
Remember … touch a life today “The Little Way” by following the lead and need of others. Also, if you ever thought to yourself, “I wish my customers, knew…”, then be sure to visit White Light Communications at http://www.tothewhitelight.com.
~ Theresa
Doing It "The Little Way" 
Thank you for a wonderful post, Theresa. Although you do touch on this abstractly, I believe that one important aspect of our lives today that we need to recognize is our society’s emphasis on busyness and how it adds or detracts from our relationships with those around us. Busyness can allow us to get many good things done. Busyness can also be a tool to distract us from the very things in life that we need to deal with. As much as busyness allows us to do, it can be this same busyness that keeps us from doing anything worthwhile. We have seemed to have forgotten: the beauty of rest; the rejuvenation of quiet; the importance of meditation and reflection. God’s early covenant established a Sabbath to stress the importance of rest and the setting aside time for the mind, body and soul to rejuvenate. Our world today seems to compel us: to do more with less; to be more productive; to be involved in everything; and to be constantly on the run. And if we slow down even a little, then we are wasting our time. I disagree. Yes, many things need to be done. Important things need to be done. Dreams need to be followed. How many dreams or wishes have you set aside because you were just too busy? How many times have you skipped a visit with someone because you were just too busy? I even see this in our children who are quietly pressured to be involved in all sorts of school activities, which also increase the busyness of the parents. This busyness keeps us distracted and sometimes uninvolved with the very people we are spending time with. It is amazing how fast our children grow. It is wonderful to take the opportunity to spend quiet and simple time together to enjoy someone’s company – a time to connect without distraction. It is sad that so many of these opportunities are missed. Now, with that being said, I also think the opposite extreme is equally unhealthy. Not being involved with anything or anyone is not healthy for anybody. We need the fellowship and stimulation that comes from relationships with those around us. This goes to the balance that you speak of in your post. We all have 24 hours each day. No one is given more time and the time slips by so quickly. Busyness makes us spend time on things that might not be all that important. Not all busyness is bad, but it can rob you of intimacy with those you love and care about. It can affect all aspects of our lives. Busyness can leave you exhausted and without reserves. It can rob you of life because you become so busy, that you forget to live. Clichés have been created to remind us of our busyness like “stop and smell the flowers.” Please do all the important things you need to do, but don’t forget to enjoy the wonderful life and persons around you for this moment will not be available again. Peace be with all of you.
You are most welcome! Thank you for your insight into our culture’s emphasis on busy-ness. In a positive light, it is this busy-ness that allows us to accomplish a great deal, including our dreams. On the flip side, anything done in excess has a negative affect. When used as a tool, for example, our busy-ness may serve as a distraction, robbing us of life’s greatest joy – fellowship and intimacy with those we love and care about the most. That is where balance comes in. While it is important to do all you need to do for your self and your loved ones, don’t forget to block out some quiet, uninterrupted time to reflect, to rejuvenate, to enjoy life’s incredible abundance, and most of all to share quality time with your loved ones. Put simply… take time off from your busy-ness to enjoy the moment. If you don’t, you may wake up one morning to discover yourself alone and your loved one gone. What good then did your busy-ness serve?