- Compliment three people every day.
- Have a dog.
- Watch a sunrise at least once a year.
- Remember other people's birthdays.
- Never mention being on a diet.
- Have a firm handshake.
- Look people in the eye.
- Say "thank you" a lot.
- Say "please" a lot.
- Learn to play a musical instrument.
- Sing in the shower.
- Use the good silver.
- Learn a card trick.
- Plant flowers every spring.
- Own a great stereo system.
- Be the first to say, "Hello."
- Live beneath your means.
- Drive inexpensive cars, but own the best house you can afford.
- Buy great books even if you never read them.
- Be forgiving of yourself and others.
- Learn three clean jokes.
- Wear polished shoes.
- Floss your teeth.
- Drink champagne for no reason at all.
- Ask for a raise when you feel you've earned it.
- If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.
- Return all things you borrow.
- Teach some kind of class.
- Be a student in some kind of class.
- Never buy a house without a fireplace.
- Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards.
- Once in your life own a convertible.
- Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
- Learn to identify the music of Chopin, Mozart, and Beethoven.
- Plant a tree on your birthday.
- Donate two pints of blood every year.
- Make new friends but cherish the old ones.
- Keep secrets.
- Take lots of snapshots.
- Take a kid to the zoo.
- Don't postpone joy.
- Write "thank you" notes promptly.
- Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen every day.
- Show respect for teachers.
- Show respect for police officers and firefighters.
- Give thanks before every meal.
- Don't waste time learning the "tricks of the trade." Instead, learn the trade.
- Keep a tight rein on your temper.
- Buy vegetables from truck farmers who advertise with hand-lettered signs.
- Put the cap back on the toothpaste.
- Take out the garbage without being told.
- Avoid overexposure to the sun.
- Vote.
- Surprise loved ones with little unexpected gifts.
- Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
- Save ten percent of what you earn.
- Make the best of bad situations.
- Always accept an outstretched hand.
- Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you.
- Admit your mistakes.
- Ask someone to pick up your mail and daily paper when you're out of town. Those are the first two things potential burglars look for.
- Use your wit to amuse, not abuse.
- Remember that all news is biased.
- Take a photography course.
- Let people pull in front of you when you're stopped in traffic.
- Don't make the same mistake twice.
- Demand excellence and be willing to pay for it.
- Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.
- Whistle.
- Hug children after you discipline them.
- Learn to make something beautiful with your hands.
- Give to charity all the clothes you haven't worn during the past three years.
- Never forget your anniversary.
- Eat prunes.
- Ride a bike.
- Choose a charity in your community and support it generously with your time and money.
- Don't take good health for granted.
- When someone wants to hire you, even if it's for a job you have little interest in, talk to them. Never close the door on an opportunity until you've had a chance to hear the offer in person.
- Don't mess with drugs, and don't associate with those who do.
- Slow dance.
- Avoid sarcastic remarks.
- Steer clear of restaurants with strolling musicians.
- In business and in family relationships, remember that the most important thing is trust.
- Forget the Joneses.
- Never encourage anyone to become a lawyer.
- Don't smoke.
- Even if you're financially well-to-do, have your children earn and pay part of their college tuition.
- Even if you're financially well-to-do, have your children earn and pay for all their automobile insurance.
- Recycle old newspapers, bottles, and cans.
- Refill ice cube trays.
- Don't let anyone ever see you tipsy.
- Never invest more in the stock market than you can afford to lose.
- Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come ninety percent of all your happiness or misery.
- Make it a habit to do nice things for people who'll never find out.
- Attend class reunions.
- Lend only those books you never care to see again.
- Always have something beautiful in sight, even if it's just a daisy in a jelly glass.
- Know how to type.
- Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.
- Never buy a beige car.
- Learn how to read a financial report.
- Tell your kids often how terrific they are and that you trust them.
- Use credit cards only for convenience, never for credit.
- Take a brisk thirty-minute walk every day.
- Treat yourself to a massage on your birthday.
- Never cheat.
- Smile a lot. It costs nothing and is beyond price.
- When dining with clients or business associates, never order more than one cocktail or one glass of wine. If no one else is drinking, don't drink at all.
- Know how to drive a stick shift.
- Decide to get up thirty minutes earlier. Do this for a year, and you will add seven and one-half days to your waking world.
- Never use profanity.
- Don't expect others to listen to your advice and ignore your example.
- Learn to identify local wildflowers, birds, and trees.
- Keep fire extinguishers in your kitchen and car.
- Give yourself a year and read the Bible cover to cover.
- Consider writing a living will.
- Install dead bolt locks on outside doors.
- Don't buy expensive wine, luggage, or watches.
- Put a lot of little marshmallows in your hot chocolate.
- Learn CPR.
- Resist the temptation to buy a boat.
- Stop and read historical roadside markers.
- Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
- Know how to change a tire.
- Know how to tie a bow tie.
- Respect your children's privacy. Knock before entering their rooms.
- Wear audacious underwear under the most solemn business attire.
- Remember people's names.
- Introduce yourself to the manager where you bank. It's important that he/she knows you personally.
- Leave the toilet seat in the down position.
- Don't buy cheap tools.
- Cherish your children for what they are, not for what you'd like them to be.
- When someone is relating an important event that's happened to them, don't try to top them with a story of your own. Let them have the stage.
- Keep an extra key hidden somewhere on your car in case you lock yourself out.
- Have crooked teeth straightened.
- Have dull-colored teeth whitened.
- Keep your watch five minutes fast.
- When negotiating your salary, think of what you want; then ask for ten percent more.
- Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.
- When starting out, don't worry about not having enough money. Limited funds are a blessing, not a curse. Nothing encourages creative thinking in quite the same way.
- Give yourself an hour to cool off before responding to someone who has provoked you. If it involves something really important, give yourself overnight.
- Pay your bills on time.
- Join a slow-pitch softball league.
- Take someone bowling.
- Keep a flashlight and extra batteries under the bed and in the glove box of your car.
- When playing games with children, let them win.
- Turn off the television at dinner time.
- Steer clear of restaurants that rotate.
- Skip one meal a week and give what you would have spent to a street person.
- Sing in a choir.
- Get acquainted with a good lawyer, accountant, and plumber.
- Give people the benefit of the doubt.
- Stand at attention and put your hand over your heart when singing the national anthem.
- Resist the temptation to put a cute message on your answering machine.
- Have a will and tell your next-of-kin where it is.
- Strive for excellence, not perfection.
- Take time to smell the roses.
- Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
- Be tough minded but tenderhearted.
- Use seat belts.
- Have regular medical and dental checkups.
- Keep your desk and work area neat.
- Make someone's day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you.
- Be punctual and insist on it in others.
- Don't waste time responding to your critics.
- Avoid negative people.
- Don't scrimp in order to leave money to your children.
- Resist telling people how something should be done. Instead, tell them what needs to be done. They will often surprise you with creative solutions.
- Be original.
- Be neat.
- Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.
- Be suspicious of all politicians.
- Be kinder than necessary.
- Encourage your children to have a part-time job after the age of sixteen.
- Give people a second chance, but not a third.
- Read carefully anything that requires your signature. Remember the big print giveth and the small print taketh away.
- Never take action when you're angry.
- Learn to recognize the inconsequential, then ignore it.
- Be your wife's best friend.
- Do battle against prejudice and discrimination wherever you find it.
- Wear out, don't rust out.
- Be romantic.
- Let people know what you stand for—and what you won't stand for.
- Don't quit a job until you've lined up another.
- Never criticize the person who signs your paycheck. If you are unhappy with your job, resign.
- Be insatiably curious. Ask "why" a lot.
- Measure people by the size of their hearts, not the size of their bank accounts.
- Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
- Learn how to fix a leaky faucet and toilet.
- Have good posture. Enter a room with purpose and confidence.
- Don't worry that you can't give your kids the best of everything. Give them your very best.
- Drink low fat milk.
- Use less salt.
- Eat less red meat.
- Determine the quality of a neighborhood by the manners of the people living there.
- Surprise a new neighbor with one of your favorite homemade dishes —and include the recipe.
- Don't forget, a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
- Feed a stranger's expired parking meter.
- Park at the back of the lot at shopping centers. The walk is good exercise.
- Don't watch violent television shows, and don't buy the products that sponsor them.
- Don't carry a grudge.
- Show respect for all living things.
- Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full.
- Choose work that is in harmony with your values.
- Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.
- Give your best to your employer. It's one of the best investments you can make.
- Set short-term and long-term goals.
- Attend high school art shows, and always buy something.
- Observe the speed limit.
- Commit yourself to constant self-improvement.
- Take your dog to obedience school. You'll both learn a lot.
- Don't allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It's there for your convenience, not the caller's.
- Don't waste time grieving over past mistakes. Learn from them and move on.
- When complimented, a sincere "thank you" is the only response required.
- Don't plan a long evening on a blind date. A lunch date is perfect. If things don't work out, both of you have only wasted an hour.
- Don't discuss business in elevators. You never know who may overhear you.
- Be a good loser.
- Be a good winner.
- Never go grocery shopping when you're hungry. You'll buy too much.
- Spend less time worrying who's right, and more time deciding what's right.
- Don't major in minor things.
- Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret.
- Praise in public.
- Criticize in private.
- Never tell anyone they look tired or depressed.
- When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.
- Resist giving advice concerning matrimony, finances, or hair styles.
- Have impeccable manners.
- Never pay for work before it's completed.
- Keep good company.
- Keep a daily journal.
- Keep your promises.
- Avoid any church that has cushions on the pews and is considering building a gymnasium.
- Teach your children the value of money and the importance of saving.
- Be willing to lose a battle in order to win the war.
- Don't be deceived by first impressions.
- Seek out the good in people.
- Never discuss money with people who have much more or much less than you.
- Never buy something you don't need just because it's on sale.
- Drink eight glasses of water every day.
- Respect tradition.
- Be cautious about lending money to friends. You might lose both.
- Never waste an opportunity to tell good employees how much they mean to the company.
- Buy a bird feeder and hang it so that you can see it from your kitchen window.
- Never cut what can be untied.
- Wave at children on school buses.
- Tape record your parents' memories of how they met and their first years of marriage.
- Show respect for others' time. Call whenever you're going to be more than ten minutes late for an appointment.
- Hire people smarter than you.
- Learn to show cheerfulness, even when you don't feel like it.
- Learn to show enthusiasm, even when you don't feel like it.
- Take good care of those you love.
- Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.
- Keep it simple.
- Purchase gas from the neighborhood gas station even if it costs more. Next winter when it's six degrees and your car won't start, you'll be glad they know you.
- Don't jaywalk.
- Never ask a lawyer or accountant for business advice. They are trained to find problems, not solutions.
- When meeting someone for the first time, resist asking what they do for a living. Enjoy their company without attaching any labels.
- Avoid like the plague any lawsuit.
- Every day show your family how much you love them with your words, with your touch, and with your thoughtfulness.
- Take family vacations whether you can afford them or not. The memories will be priceless.
- Don't gossip.
- Don't discuss salaries.
- Don't nag.
- Don't gamble.
- Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.
- Lie on your back and look at the stars.
- Don't leave car keys in the ignition.
- Don't whine.
- Arrive at work early and stay beyond quitting time.
- When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail. If you're going after Moby Dick, take along the tartar sauce.
- Change air conditioner filters every three months.
- Remember that overnight success usually takes about fifteen years.
- Leave everything a little better than you found it.
- Cut out complimentary newspaper articles about people you know and mail the articles to them with notes of congratulations.
- Patronize local merchants even if it costs a bit more.
- Fill your gas tank when it falls below one-quarter full.
- Don't expect money to bring you happiness.
- Never snap your fingers to get someone's attention. It's rude.
- No matter how dire the situation, keep your cool.
- When paying cash, ask for a discount.
- Find a good tailor.
- Don't use a toothpick in public.
- Never underestimate your power to change yourself.
- Never overestimate your power to change others.
- Practice empathy. Try to see things from other people's points of view.
- Promise big. Deliver big.
- Discipline yourself to save money. It's essential to success.
- Get and stay in shape.
- Find some other way of proving your manhood than by shooting defenseless animals and birds.
- Remember the deal's not done until the check has cleared the bank.
- Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.
- Don't spread yourself too thin. Learn to say no politely and quickly.
- Keep overhead low.
- Keep expectations high.
- Accept pain and disappointment as part of life.
- Remember that a successful marriage depends on two things: (1) finding the right person and (2) being the right person.
- See problems as opportunities for growth and self-mastery.
- Don't believe people when they ask you to be honest with them.
- Don't expect life to be fair.
- Become an expert in time management.
- Lock your car even if it's parked in your own driveway.
- Never go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink.
- Judge your success by the degree that you're enjoying peace, health, and love.
- Learn to handle a handsaw and a hammer.
- Take a nap on Sunday afternoons.
- Compliment the meal when you're a guest in someone's home.
- Make the bed when you're an overnight visitor in someone's home.
- Contribute five percent of your income to charity.
- Don't leave a ring in the bathtub.
- Don't waste time playing cards.
- When tempted to criticize your parents, spouse, or children, bite your tongue.
- Never underestimate the power of love.
- Never underestimate the power of forgiveness.
- Don't bore people with your problems. When someone asks you how you feel — say, "Terrific, never better." When they ask, "How's business?" reply, "Excellent, and getting better every day."
- Learn to disagree without being disagreeable.
- Be tactful. Never alienate anyone on purpose.
- Hear both sides before judging.
- Refrain from envy. It's the source of much unhappiness.
- Be courteous to everyone.
- Wave to crosswalk patrol mothers.
- Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.
- When there's no time for a full work-out, do push-ups.
- Don't delay acting on a good idea. Chances are someone else has just thought of it, too. Success comes to the one who acts first.
- Be wary of people who tell you how honest they are.
- Remember that winners do what losers don't want to do.
- When you arrive at your job in the morning, let the first thing you say brighten everyone's day.
- Seek opportunity, not security. A boat in a harbor is safe, but in time its bottom will rot out.
- Install smoke detectors in your home.
- Rekindle old friendships.
- When traveling, put a card in your wallet with your name, home phone, the phone number of a friend or close relative, important medical information, plus the phone number of the hotel or motel where you're staying.
- Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.
- Instead of using the words, “if only”, try substituting the words, “next time”.
- Instead of using the word “problem”, try substituting the word “opportunity”.
- Ever so often push your luck.
- Don't interrupt.
- Reread your favorite book.
- Live your life so that your epitaph could read, "No regrets."
- Never walk out on a quarrel with your wife.
- Don't think a higher price always means higher quality.
- Don't be fooled. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- When talking to the press, remember they always have the last word.
- Regarding furniture and clothes: if you think you'll be using them five years or longer, buy the best you can afford.
- Be open to new ideas.
- Try everything offered by supermarket food demonstrators.
- Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
- Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
- Own a good dictionary.
- Own a good thesaurus.
- Remember the three most important things when buying a home: location, location, location.
- Keep valuable papers in a bank lockbox.
- Don't miss the magic of the moment by focusing on what's to come.
- Go through all your old photographs. Select ten and tape them to your kitchen cabinets. Change them every thirty days.
- To explain a romantic break-up, simply say, "It was all my fault."
- Evaluate yourself by your own standards, not someone else's.
- Be there when people need you.
- Don't be rushed into making an important decision. People will understand if you say, "I'd like a little more time to think it over. Can I get back to you tomorrow?"
- Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
- Don't let anyone talk you out of pursuing what you know to be a great idea.
- Be prepared to lose once in a while.
- Don't rain on other people's parades.
- Know when to keep silent.
- Know when to speak up.
- Every day look for some small way to improve your marriage.
- Every day look for some small way to improve the way you do your job.
- Don't flush urinals with your hand—use your elbow.
- Acquire things the old-fashioned way: Save for them and pay cash.
- Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who help you.
- Go the distance. When you accept a task, finish it.
- Do business with those who do business with you.
- Just to see how it feels, for the next twenty-four hours refrain from criticizing anybody or anything.
- Give your clients your enthusiastic best.
- Let your children overhear you saying complimentary things about them to other adults.
- Work hard to create in your children a good self-image. It's the most important thing you can do to insure their success.
- Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone else choose it for you.
- Save an evening a week for just you and your wife.
- Carry jumper cables in your car.
- Get all repair estimates in writing.
- Forget committees. New, noble, world-changing ideas always come from one person working alone.
- Pay attention to the details.
- Be a self-starter.
- Be loyal.
- Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power, or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
- Never give a loved one a gift that suggests they need improvement.
- Compliment even small improvements.
- Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
- Wear expensive shoes, belts, and ties, but buy them on sale.
- When undecided about what color to paint a room, choose antique white.
- Carry stamps in your wallet. You never know when you'll discover the perfect card for a friend or loved one.
- Street musicians are a treasure. Stop for a moment and listen; then leave a small donation.
- Support equal pay for equal work.
- Pay your fair share.
- Learn how to operate a Macintosh computer.
- When faced with a serious health problem, get at least three medical opinions.
- Remain open, flexible, curious.
- Never give anyone a fruitcake.
- Never acquire just one kitten. Two are a lot more fun and no more trouble.
- Start meetings on time regardless of who's missing.
- Focus on making things better, not bigger.
- Stay out of nightclubs.
- Don't ever watch hot dogs or sausage being made.
- Begin each day with your favorite music.
- Before leaving to meet a flight, call the airline first to be sure it's on time.
- When attending meetings, sit down front.
- Don't be intimidated by doctors and nurses. Even when you're in the hospital, it's still your body.
- Read hospital bills carefully. It's reported that 89% contain errors - in favor of the hospital.
- Every once in a while, take the scenic route.
- Don't let your possessions possess you.
- Wage war against littering.
- Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, "Someone who thinks you're terrific."
- Cut your own firewood.
- When you and your wife have a disagreement, regardless of who's wrong, apologize. Say, "I'm sorry I upset you. Would you forgive me?" These are healing, magical words.
- Don't flaunt your success, but don't apologize for it either.
- After experiencing inferior service, food, or products, bring it to the attention of the person in charge. Good managers will appreciate knowing.
- Be enthusiastic about the success of others.
- Don't procrastinate. Do what needs doing when it needs to be done.
- Read to your children.
- Sing to your children.
- Listen to your children.
- Get your priorities straight. No one ever said on his death bed, "Gee, if I'd only spent more time at the office."
- Take care of your reputation. It's your most valuable asset.
- Turn on your headlights when it begins to rain.
- Don't tailgate.
- Sign and carry your organ donor card.
- Don't allow self-pity. The moment this emotion strikes, do something nice for someone less fortunate than you.
- Share the credit.
- Don't accept "good enough" as good enough.
- Do more than is expected.
- Be prepared. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
- Select a doctor your own age so that you can grow old together.
- Use club soda as an emergency spot remover.
- Improve your performance by improving your attitude.
- Have a friend who owns a truck.
- Question your goals by asking, "Will this help me become my very best?"
- Make a list of twenty-five things you want to experience before you die. Carry it in your wallet and refer to it often.
- Have some knowledge of three religions other than your own.
- Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.
- Every person that you meet knows something you don't; learn from them.
- Tape record your parents' laughter.
- Buy cars that have air bags.
- When meeting someone you don't know well, extend your hand and give them your name. Never assume they remember you even if you've met them before.
- Do it right the first time.
- Laugh a lot. A good sense of humor cures almost all of life's ills.
- Never underestimate the power of a kind word or deed.
- Don't undertip the waiter just because the food is bad; he didn't cook it.
- Change your car's oil and filter every three thousand miles regardless of what the owner's manual recommends.
- Conduct family fire drills. Be sure everyone knows what to do in case the house catches fire.
- Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know."
- Don't be afraid to say, "I made a mistake."
- Don't be afraid to say, "I need help."
- Don't be afraid to say, "I'm sorry."
- Never compromise your integrity.
- Keep a note pad and pencil on your bedside table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 A.M.
- Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job.
- Stand when greeting a visitor to your office.
- Send your loved one flowers. Think of a reason later.
- Attend your children's athletic contests, plays, and recitals.
- When you find a job that's ideal, take it regardless of the pay. If you've got what it takes, your salary will soon reflect your value to the company.
- Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.
- Look for opportunities to make people feel important.
- When planning a trip abroad, read about the places you'll visit before you go or, better yet, rent a travel video.
- When a child falls and skins a knee or elbow, always show concern; then take the time to "kiss it and make it well."
- Never admit at work that you're tired, angry, or bored.
- Don't insist on running someone else's life.
- Respond promptly to RSVP invitations. If there's a phone number, call; if not, write a note.
- Watch for big problems. They disguise big opportunities.
- Keep several irons in the fire.
- After you've worked hard to get what you want, take the time to enjoy it.
- Be alert for opportunities to show praise and appreciation.
- Commit yourself to quality.
- Be a leader: Remember the lead sled dog is the only one with a decent view.
- Never underestimate the power of words to heal and reconcile relationships.
- Your mind can only hold one thought at a time. Make it a positive and constructive one.
- Become someone's hero.
- Marry only for love.
- Count your blessings.
- Call your mother.
- Believe in love at first sight.
- Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
- Overpay good baby sitters.
- Never refuse jury duty. It is your civic responsibility, and you'll learn a lot.
- Accept a breath mint if someone offers you one.
- When you feel terrific, notify your face.
- Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely.
- Never apologize for being early for an appointment.
- Open the car door for your wife and always help her with her coat.
- Discipline with a gentle hand.
- When reconvening after a conference break, choose a chair in a different part of the room.
- Use your past successes as a trampoline, not an easy chair.
- Rake a big pile of leaves every fall and jump in it with someone you love.
- Volunteer. Sometimes the jobs no one wants conceal big opportunities.
- Never drive while holding a cup of hot coffee between your knees.
- Carry Handi-Wipes in your glove compartment.
- Use a travel agent. It costs no more and saves time and effort.
- Have a professional photo of yourself made. Update it every three years.
- Never miss an opportunity to ride a roller coaster.
- Never miss an opportunity to have someone rub your back.
- Never miss an opportunity to sleep on a screened-in porch.
- Sign all warranty cards and mail them in promptly.
- Remember the advice of our friend Ken Beck: When you see a box turtle crossing the road, stop and put it safely on the other side.
- Create a little signal only your wife knows so that you can show her you love her across a crowded room.
- Never be the first to break a family tradition.
- Park next to the end curb in parking lots. Your car doors will have half the chance of getting dented.
- Keep a diary of your accomplishments at work. Then when you ask for a raise, you'll have the information you need to back it up.
- Never sign contracts with blank spaces.
- Drive as you wish your kids would. Never speed or drive recklessly with children in the car.
- In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
- Never take the last piece of fried chicken.
- Ask about a store's return policy when you purchase an item that costs more than $50.
- When you go to borrow money, dress as if you have plenty of it.
- When you know someone has gone to a lot of trouble to get really dressed up, always tell them "You look terrific."
- Eat a piece of chocolate to cure bad breath from onions or garlic.
- Seize every opportunity for additional training in your job.
- When travelling, leave the good jewellery at home.
- Put your address inside your luggage as well as on the outside.
- Never give your credit card number over the phone if you didn't place the call.
- Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something.
- Check hotel bills carefully, especially the charges for local and long-distance calls.
- Learn the rules. Then break some.
- No matter how old you get, hug and kiss your mother whenever you greet her.
- Remember that everyone is influenced by kindness.
- Put love notes in your child's lunch box.
- Encourage anyone who is trying to improve mentally, physically, or spiritually.
- Remember that half the joy of achievement is in the anticipation.
- Go to rodeos.
- When someone has rendered a service for you and doesn't know what to charge, ask "What do you think is fair?"
- Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
- When you need assistance, ask this way: "I've got a problem. I wonder if you would be kind enough to help me?"
- Get involved with your local government. As someone said, "Politics is too important to be left to the politicians."
- Remember that 80% of the success in any job is based on your ability to deal with people.
- Never swap your integrity for money, power, or fame.
- Never tell an off-color joke when ladies are present.
- Never sell yourself short.
- Fool someone on April 1st.
- Never remind someone of a kindness or act of generosity you have shown him or her. Bestow a favor and then forget it.
- Help your children set up their own savings and checking accounts by age 16.
- Learn to play "Amazing Grace" on the piano.
- Put on old clothes before you get out the paint brushes.
- Never be ashamed of your patriotism.
- Never be ashamed of honest tears.
- Never be ashamed of laughter that's too loud or singing that's too joyful.
- Always try the house dressing.
- Don't trust your memory; write it down.
- When you get really angry, stick your hands in your pockets.
- Do all you can to increase the salaries of good teachers.
- At least once, date a woman with beautiful red hair.
- For easier reading in motel rooms, pack your own 100-watt light bulb.
- If you lend someone money, make sure his character exceeds the collateral.
- Whether it's life or a horse that throws you, get right back on.
- Be cautious telling people how contented and happy you are. Many will resent it.
- Hang up if someone puts you on hold to take a "call waiting."
- Accept the fact that regardless of how many times you are right, you will sometimes be wrong.
- Every once in a while ask yourself the question, “If money weren't a consideration, what would I like to be doing?”
- Talk slow but think quick.
- When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
- Don't admire people for their wealth but for the creative and generous ways they put it to use.
- Take along two big safety pins when you travel so that you can pin the drapes shut in your motel room.
- Never betray a confidence.
- Never claim a victory prematurely.
- Never leave the kitchen when something's boiling on the stove.
- Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
- Make the punishment fit the crime.
- Remember that just the moment you say, "I give up," someone else seeing the same situation is saying, "My, what a great opportunity."
- For emergencies, always have change in your pocket and a ten dollar note hidden in your wallet.
- Never give anybody a fondue set or anything painted avocado green.
- Don't let your family get so busy that you don't sit down to at least one meal a day together.
- Remember the three Rs: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
- Carry your own alarm clock when travelling. Hotel wake-up calls are sometimes unreliable.
- When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
- Keep the porch light on until all the family is in for the night.
- Plant zucchini only if you have lots of friends.
- Take along a small gift for the host or hostess when you're a dinner guest. A book is a good choice.
- Don't overlook life's small joys while searching for the big ones.
- Keep a well-stocked first-aid kit in your car and at home.
- Never be photographed with a cocktail glass in your hand.
- Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
- Don't marry a woman who picks at her food.
- For peace of mind, make decisions in concert with your values.
- To dry wet shoes, stuff them full of newspaper and let them dry naturally.
- Read a book about beekeeping.
- When lost or in distress, signal in "threes"—three shouts, three gunshots, or three horn blasts.
- Don't be surprised to discover that luck favors those who are prepared.
- When asked to play the piano, do it without complaining or making excuses.
- Subscribe to “Choice Magazine”.
- Don't expect your love alone to make a neat person out of a messy one.
- Take off the convention badge as soon as you leave the convention hall.
- Look for ways to make your boss look good.
- Every so often, invite the person in line behind you to go ahead of you.
- Carry a small pocket knife.
- Remember that the person who steals an egg will steal a chicken.
- Meet regularly with someone who holds vastly different views than you.
- Don't go looking for trouble.
- Don't buy someone else's trouble.
- Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
- Be the first to fight for a just cause.
- When you have the choice of two exciting things, choose the one you haven't tried.
- Remember that no time spent with your children is ever wasted.
- Remember that no time is ever wasted that makes two people better friends.
- Avoid approaching horses and restaurants from the rear.
- There are people who will always come up with reasons why you can't do what you want to do. Ignore them.
- Check to see if your regular car insurance covers you when you rent a car. The insurance offered by car rental companies is expensive.
- If you need to bring in a business partner, make sure your partner brings along some money.
- Never say anything uncomplimentary about another person's dog.
- If you have trouble with a company's products or services, go to the top. Write the president, then follow up with a phone call.
- Don't ride in a car if the driver has been drinking.
- Don't tell the end of movies and good books.
- Think twice before accepting the lowest bid.
- Never miss a chance to dance with your wife.
- When in doubt about what art to put on a wall, choose a framed black-and-white photo by Ansel Adams.
- When uncertain what to wear, a blue blazer, worn with gray wool slacks, a white shirt, and a red-and-blue striped silk tie, is almost always appropriate.
- When boarding a bus, say "hello" to the driver. Say "thank you" when you get off.
- Write a short note inside the front cover when giving a book as a gift.
- Never give a gift that's not beautifully wrapped.
- Make the rules for your children clear, fair, and consistent.
- Don't think expensive equipment will make up for lack of talent or practice.
- Learn to say "I love you" in French, Italian, and Swedish.
- Read a magazine every week that has nothing to do with your hobbies or work.
- Memorize your favorite love poem.
- Ask anyone giving you directions to repeat them at least twice.
- When you are totally exhausted but have to keep going, wash your face and hands and put on clean socks and a clean shirt. You will feel remarkably refreshed.
- Make allowances for your friends' imperfections as readily as you do for your own.
- Steer clear of any place with a "Ladies Welcome" sign in the window.
- When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
- Be ruthlessly realistic when it comes to your finances.
- Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
- Set high goals for your employees and help them attain them.
- Pay your bills on time. If you can't, write your creditors a letter describing your situation. Send them something every month, even if it's only five dollars.
- Do your homework and know your facts, but remember it's passion that persuades.
- Don't waste time trying to appreciate music. you dislike. Spend the time with music you love.
- Always put something in the collection plate.
- When concluding a business deal and the other person suggests working out the details
- later, say, "I understand, but I would like to settle the entire matter right now." Don't move from the table until you do.
- Ask yourself if you would feel comfortable giving your two best friends a key to your house. If not, look for some new best friends.
- Do the right thing, regardless of what others think.
- Wear a shirt and tie to work, even for a job unloading trucks.
- Judge people from where they stand, not from where you stand.
- When shaking a woman's hand, squeeze it no harder than she squeezes yours.
- Be open and accessible. The next person you meet could become your best friend.
- Never wash a car, mow a yard, or select a Christmas tree after dark.
- Life will sometimes hand you a magical moment. Savor it.
- Learn how to make tapioca pudding and peanut brittle in the microwave.
- Set aside your dreams for your children and help them attain their own dreams.
- Dress a little better than your clients but not as well as your boss.
- Take the stairs when it's four flights or less.
- Never threaten if you don't intend to back it up.
- Learn to save on even the most modest salary. If you do, you're almost assured of financial success.
- Buy a used car with the same caution a naked man uses to climb a barbed-wire fence.
- Hold yourself to the highest standards.
- Buy the big bottle of Tabasco.
- Don't confuse comfort with happiness.
- Don't confuse wealth with success.
- Be the first to forgive.
- When talking to your doctor, don't let him or her interrupt or end the session early. It's your body and your money. Stay until all your questions are answered to your satisfaction.
- Whenever you take something back for an exchange or refund, wear a coat and tie.
- Check for toilet paper before sitting down.
- If you work for an organization that makes its decisions by committee, make damn sure you're on the committee.
- Don't stop the parade to pick up a coin.
- Make a habit of reading something inspiring and cheerful just before. going to sleep.
- Marry a woman you love to talk to. As you get older, her conversational skills will be as important as any other.
- Turn enemies into friends by doing something nice for them.
- When hiring, give special consideration to anyone who's been an Eagle Scout.
- Be as friendly to the janitor as you are to the chairman of the board.
- Never buy anything electrical at a flea market.
- Remember that a person who is foolish with money is foolish in other ways too.
- If you want to do something and you feel in your bones that it's the right thing to do, do it. Intuition is often as important as the facts.
- Don't cut comers.
- Learn to bake bread.
- Everyone loves praise. Look hard for ways to give it to them.
- Spend some time alone.
- Be an original. If that means being a little eccentric, so be it.
- Everybody deserves a birthday cake. Never celebrate a birthday without one.
- Pay as much attention to the things that are working positively in your life as you do to those that are giving you trouble.
- Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
- When it comes to worrying or painting a picture, know when to stop.
- Don't expect anyone to know what you want for Christmas if you don't tell them.
- Before taking a long trip, fill your tank and empty your bladder.
- Ask for double prints when you have film processed. Send the extras to the people in the photos.
- When taking a woman home, make sure she's safely inside her house before you leave.
- Live with your new pet several days before you name it. The right name will come to you.
- Every year celebrate the day you and your wife had your first date.
- Treat your employees with the same respect you give your clients.
- Slow down. I mean really slow down in school zones.
- Allow your children to face the consequences of their actions.
- Be quick to take advantage of an advantage.
- Don't expect the best gifts to come wrapped in pretty paper.
- You may be fortunate and make a lot of money. But be sure your work involves something that enriches your spirit as well as your bank account.
- When a good man or woman runs for political office, support him or her with your time and money.
- When you need professional advice, get it from professionals, not from your friends.
- Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
- Don't buy a cheap mattress.
- Don't think you can relax your way to happiness. Happiness comes as a result of doing.
- Don't dismiss a good idea simply because you don't like the source.
- Send a poor child to summer camp.
- Choose a church that sings joyful music.
- What you must do, do cheerfully.
- Don't waste time waiting for inspiration. Begin, and inspiration will find you.
- Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.
- When you say, "I love you," mean it.
- When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
- Conduct yourself in such a way that your high school would want you to address the graduating seniors.
- Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
- Win without boasting.
- Lose without excuses.
- Watch your attitude. It's the first thing people notice about you.
- Pack a light bathrobe on overnight trips. Take your pillow, too.
- Choose the apartment on the top floor.
- Ask someone you'd like to know better to list five people he would most like to meet. It will tell you a lot about him.
- Don't be a person who says, "Ready, fire, aim."
- Don't be a person who says, "Ready, aim, aim, aim."
- Deadlines are important. Meet them.
- When you find someone doing small things well, put him or her in charge of bigger things.
- Read more books.
- Watch less TV.
- Remember that a good price is not necessarily what an object is marked, but what it is worth to you.
- Remember that the more you know, the less you fear.
- When a waitress or waiter provides exceptional service, leave a generous tip, plus a short note like, "Thanks for the wonderful service. You made our meal a special experience."
- Remove your sunglasses when you talk to someone.
- Buy three best-selling children's books. Read them and then give them to a youngster.
- Introduce yourself to your neighbours as soon as you move into a new neighbourhood.
- When a friend or loved one becomes ill, remember that hope and positive thinking are strong medicines.
- When you find something you really want, don't let a few dollars keep you from getting it.
- Be your children's best teacher and coach.
- Some things need doing better than they've ever been done before. Some just need doing. Others don't need doing at all. Know which is which.
- Buy ladders, extension cords, and garden hoses longer than you think you'll need.
- Don't confuse mere inconveniences with real problems.
- When asked to pray in public, be quick about it.
- Show extra respect for people whose jobs put dirt under their fingernails.
- Remember that a good example is the best sermon.
- Hold your child's hand every chance you get. The time will come all too soon when he or she won't let you.
- When you carve the Thanksgiving turkey, give the first piece to the person who prepared it.
- Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll get to enjoy it a second time.
- Wipe off the sticky honey jar before putting it back on the shelf.
- Purchase one piece of original art each year, even if it's just a small oil painting by a high school student.
- Volunteer to help a few hours a month working in a soup kitchen.
- Learn to juggle.
- Don't think people at the top of their professions have all the answers. They don't.
- Learn to make great spaghetti sauce. Your mother's recipe is the best.
- Take your wallet with you when trying on new trousers.
- Get a car with a sun roof.
- Don't carry expensive luggage. It's a tip-off to thieves that expensive items may be inside.
- When travelling by plane, don't pack valuables or important papers in your suitcase. Carry them on board with you.
- Keep your private thoughts private.
- Put your jacket around your girlfriend on a chilly evening.
- Once every couple of months enjoy a four-course meal - only eat each course at a different restaurant.
- Introduce yourself to someone you would like to meet by smiling and saying, "My name is Adam Brown. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you."
- Be humble and polite, but don't let anyone push you around.
- Put the strap around your neck before looking through binoculars.
- Do 100 push-ups every day: 50 in the morning and 50 in the evening.
- Wear goggles when operating a Weed Eater or power saw.
- Wrap a couple of thick rubber bands around your wallet when you're fishing or hiking. This will prevent it from slipping out of your pocket.
- Don't expect bankers to come to your aid in a crunch.
- Be advised that when negotiating, if you don't get it in writing, you probably won't get it.
- Don't do business with anyone who has a history of suing people.
- Every so often let your spirit of adventure triumph over your good sense.
- Use a favorite picture of a loved one as a bookmark.
- Never lose your nerve, your' temper, or your car keys.
- Trust in God but lock your car.
- Surprise an old friend with a phone call.
- Get involved at your child's school.
- Champion your wife. Be her best friend and biggest fan.
- Add to your children's private library by giving them a hardback copy of one of the classics every birthday. Begin with their first birthday.
- Carry a list of your wife's important sizes in your wallet.
- Don't open credit card bills on the weekend.
- Mind the store. No one cares about your business the way you do.
- Don't say “no” until you've heard the whole story.
- When you are a dinner guest, take a second helping if it's offered, but never a third.
- Never say anything uncomplimentary about your wife or children in the presence of others.
- Before going to bed on Christmas Eve, join hands with your family and sing "Silent Night."
- Don't accept unacceptable behavior.
- Never put the car in "drive" until all passengers have buckled up.
- When eating at a restaurant that features foreign food, don't order anything you can fix at home.
- Send your mother-in-law flowers on your wife's birthday.
- Write your pastor a note and tell him how much he means to you.
- Write your favorite author a note of appreciation.
- Apologize immediately when you lose your temper, especially to children.
- Buy your fiancée the nicest diamond engagement ring you can afford.
- When giving a speech, concentrate on what you can give the audience, not what you can get from them.
- Don't be so concerned with your rights that you forget your manners.
- Get organised. Know where you are headed. But if something wonderful and unexpected comes along, be flexible enough to follow it.
- Don't let weeds grow around your dreams.
- Never ride in an elevator or kiss a woman while wearing a hat.
- A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil, harmonious home.
- When you tell a child to do something, don't follow it with, "Okay?" Ask instead, "Do you understand?"
- Remember that almost everything looks better after a good night's sleep.
- Avoid using the word “impacted” unless you are describing wisdom teeth.
- Use a camcorder to videotape the contents of your home for insurance purposes. Don't forget closets and drawers. Keep the tape in your bank safe-deposit box.
- Remember that nothing really important ever happens until someone takes a chance.
- Keep a separate shaving kit packed for travelling.
- Remember that how you say something is as important as what you say.
- Every so often watch "Sesame Street."
- Read between the lines.
- Get to garage sales early. The good stuff is usually gone by 8:00 A.M.
- Stop and watch stonemasons at work.
- Stop and watch a farmer plowing a field.
- Never pick up anything off the floor of a cab.
- When you see visitors taking pictures of each other, offer to take a picture of their group together.
- In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
- Never apologize for extreme measures when defending your values, your health, or your family's safety.
- Don't think you can fill an emptiness in your heart with money.
- Become famous for finishing important, difficult tasks.
- Own an umbrella big enough for two people to share without getting wet.
- Leave change where a child can find it.
- Don't take good friends, good health, or a good marriage for granted.
- Place a note reading "Your license number has been reported to the police" on the windshield of a car illegally parked in a handicapped space.
- Buy a new tie to wear to your wedding rehearsal dinner. Wear it only once. Keep it forever.
- When you're lost, admit it, and ask for directions.
- Never buy just one roll of toilet paper, one roll of film, or one jar of peanut butter. Get two.
- Do a good job because you want to, not because you have to. This puts you in charge instead of your boss.
- Remember that the shortest way to get anywhere is to have good company travelling with you.
- Never type a love letter. Use a fountain pen.
- Never buy a chair or sofa without first sitting on it for several minutes.
- Don't be thin-skinned. Take criticism as well as praise with equal grace.
- At the end of your days, be leaning forward - not falling backwards.
- Never eat liver at a restaurant. Some things should be done only in the privacy of one's home.
- Keep impeccable tax records.
- Clean out a different drawer in your house every week.
- Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
- Be gentle with the Earth.
- Don't work for a company led by someone of questionable character.
- When working with contractors, include a penalty clause in your contract for their not finishing on time.
- Read bulletin boards at the grocery store, college bookstore, and coin laundry. You will find all sorts of interesting things there.
- The next time you're standing next to a police officer, firefighter, or paramedic, tell them that you appreciate what they do for the community.
- Learn three knock-knock jokes so you will always be ready to entertain children.
- Spend your time and energy creating, not criticizing.
- Visit your old high school and introduce yourself to the principal.. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of classes.
- Respect sailboats, snowmobiles, and motorcycles. They can teach you a painful lesson very fast.
- Act with courtesy and fairness regardless of how others treat you. Don't let them determine your response.
- In a verbal confrontation, lower your voice to the degree that the other person raises his or hers.
- Let your children see you do things for your wife that lets them know how much you love and treasure her.
- Take photographs of every car you own. Later, these photos will trigger wonderful memories.
- Don't allow children to ride in the back of a pickup truck.
- When you are a dinner guest at a restaurant, don't order anything more expensive than your host does.
- When someone offers to pay you now or later, choose now.
- Don't leave hair in the shower drain.
- When traveling the back roads, stop whenever you see a sign that reads "Honey For Sale."
- Start every day with the most important thing you have to do. Save the less important tasks for later.
- Think twice before deciding not to charge for your work. People often don't value what they don't pay for.
- Don't outlive your money.
- Never grab at a falling knife.
- Never take what you cannot use.
- When there is a hill to climb, don't think that waiting will make it smaller.
- When your dog dies, frame its collar and put it above a window facing west.
- When a garment label warns "Dry Clean Only," believe it.
- Don't eat any meat loaf but your mum's.
- Write the date and the names of non-family members on the backs of all photos as soon as you get them back from the developer.
- Help a child plant a small garden.
- Pray. There is immeasurable power in it.
- Don't take 11 items to the 10 Items Express Check-Out Lane.
- Don't call a fishing rod a "pole," a line a "rope," a rifle a "gun," or a ship a "boat."
- At meetings, resist turning around to see who has just arrived late.
- Don't ride a bicycle or motorcycle barefooted.
- Just because you earn a decent wage, don't look down on those who don't. To put things in perspective, consider what would happen to the public good if you didn't do your job for 30 days. Next, consider the consequences if sanitation workers didn't do their jobs for 30 days. Now, whose job is more important?
- Don't purchase anything in a package that appears to have been opened.
- Refuse to share personal and financial information unless you feel it is absolutely essential.
- Don't do business with people who knock on your door and say, "I just happened to be in the neighborhood."
- Choose a business partner the way you choose a tennis partner. Select someone who's strong where you are weak.
- Call a nursing home or retirement center and ask for a list of the residents who seldom get mail or visitors. Send them a card several times a year. Sign it, "Someone who thinks you are very special."
- Make duplicates of all important keys.
- Read a lot when you're on vacation, but nothing that has to do with your business.
- Put the knife in the jelly before putting it in the peanut butter when you make a sandwich.
- Never buy a house in a neighborhood where you have to pay before pumping gas.
- Remember that what's right isn't always popular, and what's popular isn't always right.
- Before buying a house or renting an apartment, check the water pressure by turning on the faucets and the shower and then flushing the toilet.
- Overestimate travel time by 15 percent.
- Properly fitting shoes should feel good as soon as you try them on. Don't believe the salesperson who says, "They'll be fine as soon as you break them in."
- Schedule your bachelor party at least two days before your wedding.
- Get a haircut a week before the big interview.
- Spend your life lifting people up, not putting people down.
- Never interrupt when you are being flattered.
- Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
- Don't pick up after your children. That's their job.
- Own a cowboy hat.
- Own a comfortable chair for reading.
- Own a set of good kitchen knives.
- In business or in life, don't follow the wagon tracks too closely.
- Don't judge a man's wealth by how well he's dressed, but by how well his wife is dressed.
- Brush your teeth before putting on your tie.
- Never risk what you can't afford to lose.
- Mind your own business.
- Don't trust a woman who doesn't close her eyes when you kiss her.
- Never tell a man he's losing his hair. He already knows.
- Learn to use a needle and thread, a steam iron, and an espresso machine.
- Remember that the "suggested retail price" seldom is.
- Never say, "My child would never do that."
- Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
- Replace the batteries in smoke alarms every January 1st.
- Never order chicken-fried steak in a place that doesn't have a jukebox.
- Remember that ignorance is expensive.
- Keep candles and matches in the kitchen and bedroom in case of power failure.
- If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.
- Listen to your critics. They will keep you focused and innovative.
- Never tell a person who's experiencing deep sorrow, "I know how you feel." You don't.
- Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of good luck.
- Never say anything to a news reporter that you don't want to see on the front page of your local paper. Comments made "off the record" seldom are.
- Remember the old proverb, "Out of debt, out of danger."
- Don't allow your dog to bark and disturb the neighbors.
- When declaring your rights, don't forget your responsibilities.
- Remember that what you give will afford you more pleasure than what you get.
- Display your street number prominently on your mailbox or house in case emergency vehicles need to find you.
- Think twice before accepting a job that requires you to work in an office with no windows.
- Remember that everyone you meet wean an invisible sign. It reads, "Notice me. Make me feel important."
- Never hire someone you wouldn't invite home to dinner.
- Perform your job better than anyone else can. That's the best job security I know.
- When camping or hiking, never leave evidence that you were there.
- Dress respectfully when attending church.
- Never ask an accountant, lawyer, or doctor professional questions in a social setting.
- When someone has provided you with exceptional service, write a note to his or her boss.
- If you've learned that a good friend is ill, don't ask him about it. Let him tell you first.
- Visit friends and relatives when they are in the hospital. You only need to stay a few minutes.
- Watch the movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”.
- Watch the movie “Regarding Henry”.
- Never leave a youngster in the car without taking the car keys.
- Don't think that sending a gift or flowers substitutes for your presence.
- When visiting a small town at lunch time, choose the cafe on the square.
- Attach a small Christmas wreath to your car's grill on the first day of December.
- Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.
- Truth is serious business. When criticizing others, remember that a little goes a long way.
- Never buy a piece of jewellery that costs more than $100 without doing a little haggling.
- When your children are learning to play musical instruments, buy them good ones.
- Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
- Never "borrow" so much as a pencil from your workplace.
- Become a tourist for a day in your own hometown. Take a tour. See the sights.
- Don't confuse foolishness with bravery.
- Don't mistake kindness for weakness.
- Answer the easy questions first.
- Don't discuss domestic problems at work.
- A racehorse that consistently runs just a second faster than another horse is worth millions of dollars more. Be willing to give that extra effort that separates the winner from the one in second place.
- Don't judge people by their relatives.
- Let some things remain mysterious.
- Never ignore evil.
- Be especially courteous and patient with older people.
- Remember this statement by Coach Lou Holtz, "Life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it."
- Travel. See new places, but remember to take along an open mind.
- Never get a tattoo.
- Never eat a sugared doughnut when wearing a dark suit.
- Call before dropping in on friends and family.
- When you are away from home and hear church bells, think of someone who loves you.
- When friends offer to help, let them.
- Never decide to do nothing just because you can only do a little. Do what you can.
- Acknowledge a gift, no matter how small.
- Every now and then, bite off more than you can chew.
- Remember that your character is your destiny.
- Never get in a car when the driver has been drinking.
- Don't knock the competition.
- Don't judge what you don't understand.
- Challenge yourself. Aim high.
- Every week write a short poem.
- Grind it out. Hanging on just one second longer than your competition makes you the winner.
- Buy and use your customers' products.
- Be better prepared than you think you will need to be.
- Buy a small, inexpensive camera. Take it with you everywhere.
- Let your handshake be as binding as a signed contract.
- Keep and file the best business letters you receive.
- Pay the extra $10 for the best seats at a play or concert.
- Give handout materials after your presentation, never before.
- Never buy anything from a rude salesperson, no matter how much you want it.
- Get a flu shot.
- Worry makes for a hard pillow. When something's troubling you, before going to sleep, jot down three things you can do the next day to help solve the problem.
- Buy a red umbrella. It's easier to find among all the black ones, and it adds a little color to rainy days.
- Hire people more for their judgment than for their talents.
- Love someone who doesn't deserve it.
- Every so often, go where you can hear a wooden screen door slam shut.
- When you mean “no”, say it in a way that's not ambiguous.
- Don't eat a meal just before giving a speech.
- Give children toys that are powered by their imagination, not by batteries.
- Remember that your child's character is like good soup. Both are homemade.
- Never open a restaurant.
- When you're buying something that you only need to. buy once, buy the best you can afford.
- As soon as you get married, start saving for your children's education.
- Reject and condemn prejudice based on race, gender, religion, or age.
- Choose a seat in the row next to the emergency exit when flying. You will get more leg room.
- Be willing to lower your price in order to get something else of greater value.
- You may dress unconventionally, but remember that the more strangely you dress, the better you have to be.
- Life is short. Eat more pancakes and fewer rice cakes.
- Beware the life empty of ambitions.
- Support the Red Cross.
- Remember the ABC's of success: Ability, Breaks, Courage.
- Be more concerned with living wide than living long.
- Be suspicious of a boss who schedules meetings instead of making decisions.
- Carry three business cards in your wallet.
- Regardless of the situation, react with class.
- To insure a successful year, you must begin on January 1.
- Don't overfeed horses or brothers-in-law.
- Be able to hit consistently four out of five at the free-throw line.
- Become the kind of person who brightens a room just by entering it.
- Remember the observation of William James that the deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.
- Buy raffle tickets, candy bars, and baked goods from students who are raising money for school projects.
- Be wary of the man who's "all hat and no cattle."
- Borrow a box of puppies for an afternoon and take them to visit the residents of a retirement home. Stand back and watch the smiles.
- Reread Thoreau's “Walden”.
- When there's a piano to be moved, don't reach for the stool.
- Someone will always be looking at you as an example of how to behave. Don't let them down.
- Go on blind dates. Remember, that's how I met your mother.
- Cheer for the home team.
- Follow your own star.
- Remember the ones who love you.
- Go home for the holidays.
- Don't get too big for your britches.
- Call your dad.
- Never buy a coffee table you can't put your feet on.
- Say something positive as early as possible every day.
- Believe in miracles but don't depend on them.
- Regardless of the situation, remember that nothing is ever lost by courtesy.
- Never open the refrigerator when you're bored.
- Fill out expense reports the day you return from your trip.
- Own at least one article of clothing with Mickey Mouse on it.
- Be thankful that you were born in this great country.
- When staying at a hotel or motel, don't accept a room next to the ice or vending machines.
- Enjoy the satisfaction that comes from doing the little things well.
- Never go near a kid that's holding a water hose unless you want to get wet.
- Never refuse a holiday dessert.
- If you are involved in an automobile accident, don't admit fault (there may be extenuating circumstances) and don't discuss the accident with anyone except the police and your insurance agent.
- Encourage your children to join a choir.
- Never allow anyone to intimidate you.
- Watch your finances like a hawk.
- Don't forget that we are ultimately judge by what we give, not by what we get.
- Never complain about the music in someone else's car when you're a passenger.
- Read Tom Peter's "The Pursuit of WOW!" (Vantage, 1994).
- Always compliment flower gardens and new babies.
- Remember that it's better to be cheated in price than in quality.
- When reading self-help books, include the Bible.
- Each year, take a first-day-of-school photograph of your children.
- Learn the rules of any sport your children play.
- When you hear a kind word spoken about a friend, tell him so.
- Never hesitate to do what you know is right.
- Pack a couple of Ziploc bags and a pad of Post-it notes when you travel.
- Don't work for recognition, but do work worthy of recognition.
- Share your knowledge and experiences.
- Be charitable in your speech, actions, and judgment.
- Work for a company where the expectations of you are high.
- Don't allow your children or grandchildren to call you by your first name.
- Remember that a kind word goes a long way.
- Don't compare your children with their siblings or classmates.
- Be enthusiastic in your expressions of gratitude and appreciation.
- Ask permission before taking someone's photograph.
- Join the Rotary or other civic club.
- When no great harm will result, let your children do it their way, even if you know they are wrong. They will learn more from their mistakes than from their successes.
- Forgive quickly.
- Kiss slowly.
- Tell your wife how terrific she looks.
- Never give an anniversary gift that has to be plugged in.
- Take some silly photos of yourself and a friend in an instant photo booth.
- Remember that regardless of where you are, not much good happens after midnight.
- Volunteer to be a Little League umpire.
- Remember that the word "discipline" means "to teach."
- Remember that all success comes at a price.
- When you give someone a camera as a gift, make sure it's loaded with film and has a battery.
- Tour your state capitol building.
- Own your own tuxedo.
- Never say anything uncomplimentary about your wife in the presence of your children.
- Remember the three universal healers: calamine lotion, warm oatmeal, and hugs.
- Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.
- Kiss your children good night, even if they are already asleep.
- To fight the blues, try exercising.
- Never watch a movie or video with your children that involves activities and language that you don't want them to imitate.
- Learn the Heimlich manoeuvre.
- Compliment the parent when you observe a well-behaved child.
- When travelling, sleep with your wallet, car keys, room key, eyeglasses, and shoes nearby.
- Spend twice as much time praising as you do criticising.
- Never pass up the chance to be in a parade.
- Start the standing ovation at the end of school plays.
- Remember the credo of Walt Disney: Think. Believe. Dream. Dare.
- When someone lets you down, don't give up on them.
- Treat your company's money as you would your own.
- Remember that life's big changes rarely give advance warning.
- Teach your children never to underestimate someone with a disability.
- What you have to do, do wholeheartedly.
- Never comment on someone's weight unless you know it's what they want to hear.
- Read "The Wall Street Journal" regularly.
- Find a job you love and give it everything you've got.
- Keep good financial records.
- Never complain about a flight delayed for mechanical repairs. Waiting on the ground is infinitely better than the alternative.
- Make a list of travel necessities, laminate it, and keep it in your suitcase.
- Set limits on the amount and the content of television your children watch.
- Seek respect rather than popularity.
- Seek quality rather than luxury.
- Seek refinement rather than fashion.
- Never forget that it takes only one person or one idea to change your life forever.
- Don't hand out your troubles to your friends and co-workers.
- Occasionally let your children help you even if it slows you down.
- Throw a surprise birthday party for a friend.
- Always take your vacation time.
- Call (800) 525-9000 for a catalogue of Nighingale-Conant tapes on personal development and achievement.
- Start a Smile File of jokes, articles, and cartoons that make you laugh.
- Start a Read Again File for articles you might want to enjoy a second time.
- When you need a little advice, call your grandparents.
- Teach your sons as well as your daughters to cook.
- Report unethical business practices to your city's Better Business Bureau.
- Look for the opportunity that is hidden in every adversity.
- Remember that when your Mom says, "You'll regret it," you probably will.
- Don't be critical of your wife's friends.
- Be prompt when picking up or dropping off your children for school or other activities.
- Don't sit while ladies are standing.
- Take you teenagers with you when you buy a car or expensive household item and let them learn from the experience.
- Become a serious student of American history.
- Make a big batch of Rice Krispies squares. Take them to the office.
- Play catch with a kid.
- Write some poetry.
- Shoot a few hoops.
- Once a month invite someone to dinner who knows more about your business than you do.
- Never ignore an old barking dog.
- To open a bottle of champagne, twist the neck, not the cork.
- To put someone in your debt, do something nice for their child.
- Improve even the best sausage biscuit by spreading on a little grape jelly.
- Try to add a new name to your Rolodex every week.
- If you are not going to use a discount coupon, leave it on the shelf with the product for someone else to use.
- Respect your elders.
- Never criticize your country when traveling abroad.
- When loved ones drive away, watch until you can no longer see the car.
- On your birthday, send your mom a thank-you card.
- Never tell an off-colour joke in the presence of women or children.
- Keep a pad and pencil by every phone.
- If you dial a wrong number, don't just hang up; offer an apology.
- Spend a couple of hours every week reading magazines that have nothing to do with your job or lifestyle.
- Hold yourself to the same high standards that you require of others.
- Never let the odds keep you from pursuing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.
- Wage war against procrastination.
- Don't open anyone else's mail.
- If you are a guest at a wedding, take lots of snapshots and send them along with the negatives to the bride and groom as quickly as you can. They have a long time to wait for the formal pictures and will be thrilled to receive the ones you took.
- Never loan your chain saw, your ball glove, or your favourite book.
- Type out your favourite quotation and place it where you can see it every day.
- When playing a sport with a partner, never criticise his or her performance.
- Until your children move out of your house, never buy anything suede.
- When the best in the world visits your town for a concert, exhibition, or speech, get tickets for a friend.
- Learn the techniques for being a good interviewer.
- Listen to rumours, but don't contribute any of your own.
- Enter something in the state fair.
- Offer hope.
- Let your word be your bond.
- Count your change.
- Remember that a lasting marriage is based on commitment, not convenience.
- When you need to apologise to someone, do it in person.
- Try to find a copy of the book "Under My Elm" by David Grayson (Doubleday, 1942.) You may have to order it.
- Take your children on a tour of your local university.
- Finish projects before they are due.
- Never ask a childless couple when they are going to have children.
- Be happy with what you have while working for what you want.
- Let your children observe you being generous with those in need.
- Celebrate even small victories.
- Never answer a reporter's questions with, "No comment." Instead, say, "I don't have enough information to comment on that right now."
- Cut your toenails in private.
- After going to bed, refuse to worry about problems until the morning.
- Return shopping carts to the designated areas.
- Attend an Eagle Scout's or a Girl Scout's Golden Award induction ceremony
- Never tell a car salesman how much you want to spend.
- Redeem gift certificates promptly.
- Remember that a grateful heart is almost always a happy one.
- Make an effort to attend weddings and funerals.
- Don't forget that a couple of words of praise or encouragement can make someone's day.
- Every year, send your old alma mater a few bucks.
- Be especially courteous to receptionists and secretaries; they are the gatekeepers.
- Make your money before spending it.
- Don't over-schedule your children's extracurricular activities.
- Whenever you hear an ambulance siren, say a prayer for the person inside.
- Worry about the consequences of the choices you make before you make them - not afterward.
- Attend parent-teacher conferences and PTA meetings.
- Don't take medicines in the dark.
- Spoil your wife, not your children.
- Stop and look up when anyone approaches your desk.
- Search out good values, but let the other guy make a fair profit on what you purchase.
- Get a passport and keep it current.
- Never pass up a chance to jump on a trampoline.
- Be cautious of renting lodging accomodations described in the ad or brochure as "rustic".
- Insist that your children complete a driver's education course at their school.
- Locate the emergency exits as soon as you check into your hotel room.
- Get to know your children's teachers.
- Stay humble.
- Stay on your toes.
- Know where to find a gas station that's open twenty-four hours with a working bathroom.
- Hang up on anyone you don't know who's trying to sell you a financial product over the telephone.
- Buy each of your children a special Christmas ornament every year. When they move into their own homes, box up the ornaments and give them as house-warming gifts.
- Support your local museums.
- Support your local symphony.
- Support your community college.
- Remember you can miss a lot of good things in life by having the wrong attitude.
- When a guest, never complain about the food, drink, or accommodations.
- Take a course in public speaking.
- Write a letter to the editor at least once a year.
- For better security while travelling, take along a small wedge of wood and jam it under your hotel room door.
- Never criticise a gift.
- Never leave a loved one in anger.
- Keep a roll of duct take at home, at the office, and in your car.
- Require your children to do their share of household chores.
- When in doubt, smile.
- Underestimate when guessing an adult's age or weight.
- Overestimate when guessing someone's salary.
- Choose a clothing salesperson who dresses as you wish you did.
- Send notes of encouragement to military personnel and college students.
- Occasionally leave a quarter in the change return slot of a pay phone. Somebody always checks.
- Overpay the neighbourhood kid who does yard work for you.
- When a friend is in need, help him without his having to ask.
- Keep an emergency gas can in your trunk.
- Own a salad spinner.
- Own two champagne glasses.
- Allow drivers from out-of-state a little extra room on the road.
- When serving hamburgers, always toast the buns.
- Never whittle toward yourself.
- Make a generous contribution to diabetes research.
- Teach your children the pride, satisfaction, and dignity of doing any job well.
- Never ask a woman when the baby is due unless you know for sure that she's pregnant.
- Frame anything your child brings home on his first day at school.
- Host a backyard get-together for friends and neighbours every Labour Day.
- Keep $10 in your glove box for emergencies.
- Volunteer to help at your city's Special Olympics.
- Never be too busy to meet someone new.
- Remember that cruel words deeply hurt.
- Remember that loving words quickly heal.
- Surprise someone who's more than eighty years old or a couple celebrating fifty years or more of marriage with a personal greeting from the President. Mail details to the White House, Greetings Office, Room 39, Washington DC 20500, four to six weeks in advance.
- If it's not a beautiful morning, let your cheerfulness make it one.
- Plant a tree the day your child is born.
- Toss in a coin when passing a wishing well.
- Don't say anything on a cordless or cellular telephone that you don't want the world to hear.
- Never get yourself into a position wher you have to back up a trailer.
- Marry someone your equal or a little bit better.
- Keep a special notebook. Every night before going to bed, write down something beautiful that you saw during the day.
- When you're the first one up, be quiet about it.
- This year, visit two or three of your state parks.
- Remember that a minute of anger denies you sixty seconds of happiness.
- Include a recent family photo when writing to loved ones.
- Ask your grandparents to tell you stories about your parents while they were growing up.
- Become a Big Brother or Big Sister.
- Welcome the unexpected! Opportunities rarely come in neat, predictable packages.
- Before criticising a new employee, remember your first days at work.
- To help your children turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and half as much money.
- Give young children the opportunity to participate in family decision-making; their insight will surprise you.
- Tell family members that you love them before they go away for a few days.
- Keep a backup copy of your personal address and telephone book.
- Fill out customer comment cards.
- Mail in your Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes notice. Who knows?
- Don't make eating everything on their plate an issue with children.
- Never miss an opportunity to go fishing with your father.
- Never miss an opportunity to go travelling with your mother.
- Hold a child's hand when crossing the street.
- Do something every day that maintains your good health.
- Every spring set out a couple of tomato plants.
- When travelling, stop occasionally at local cafes and diners.
- Never deny anyone the opportunity to do something nice for you.
- Never tell a woman you liked her hair better before she had it cut.
- When playing golf or tennis, occasionally play with someone better than you are.
- Dust, then vacuum.
- Offer to pay for parking and tolls when you ride with someone.
- Offer to leave the tip when someone invites you out to eat.
- Visit a pet store every once in a while and watch the children watch the animals.
- Remember that a successful future begins right now.
- Don't minimise your child's worries and fears.
- Take advantage of free lectures on any subject in which you are remotely interested.
- Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.
- Use good stationery when you want your written comments to be taken seriously.
- Unless it creates a safety problem, pull your car over when a funeral procession is passing.
- Be the first adult to jump into the pool or run into the ocean with the kids. They will love you for it.
- Hold puppies, kittens, and babies any time you get the chance.
- Ask your boss what he expects of you.
- Don't play your car stereo so loud that you can't hear approaching emergency vehicles.
- Memorize the names of the books of the Bible.
- Memorize the names and order of the Presidents.
- Take Trivial Pursuit cards to read the driver on a long road trip. It makes the time fly.
- After children argue and have said their "I'm sorrys," ask each one to say something nice about the other.
- Never forget the debt you owe to all those who have come before you.
- Watch your back.
- Watch your weight.
- Watch your language.
- Remember that anything creative and innovative will be copied.
- When traveling, pack more underwear and socks than you think you will need.
- Dress for the position you want, not the one you have.
- Keep a couple of your favourite inspirational books by your bedside.
- Don't write anything you don't want someone else to read.
- Whisper in your sleeping child's ear, "I love you."
- At least once in your life, see the Grand Teton Mountains from the back of a horse.
- Never ignore a ringing fire alarm.
- When taking a true-false test, remember that any statement that includes the word "any", "all", "always", "never", or "ever" is usually false.
- Let your children know that regardless of what happens, you'll always be there for them.
- Keep a blanket in the trunk of your car for emergencies during the winter months.
- Take a ride in a glider.
- Take a ride in a hot-air balloon.
- Be the first to apologise to a family member after a disagreement.
- To find out who is behind an idea or activity, follow the money.
- If you borrow something more than twice, buy one for yourself.
- When you build a home, make sure it has a screened-in porch.
- Be innovative.
- Be passionate.
- Be committed.
- Become knowledgeable about antiques, oriental rugs, and contemporary art.
- Don't get caught glancing at your watch when you are talking to someone.
- Remember that life's most treasured moments often come unannounced.
- Never tell anyone they can't sing.
- Never tell anyone they don't have a good sense of humor.
- Call a radio talk show with an opinion.
- When parents introduce you to their children, say, "I have looked forward to meeting you, because your parents are always bragging about you."
- Don't argue with your mother.
- Clear the adding machine after using it.
- Before buying that all-important engagement ring, find out all you can about diamonds by calling the American Gem Society. They will send you a booklet that will answer some of your questions.
- Every December, give the world a precious gift. Give a pint of blood.
- Plant a couple of fruit trees in your back yard.
- Wear a tie with cartoon characters on it if you work with kids.
- Remember that every age brings new opportunities.
- Know your children's friends.
- Eat lightly or not at all before giving a speech or making a presentation.
- Attend family reunions and be patient when aunts and uncles want to take your picture.
- Go for long, hand-holding walks with your wife.
- Visit the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina, during the spring tulip festival.
- Ask an older person you respect to tell you his or her greatest regret.
- Record the birthday heights of your children on the kitchen doorjamb. Never paint it.
- Every once in a while, let your kids play in the rain.
- When a woman is in the hospital, give her a soft, stuffed animal instead of flowers.
- Always order bread pudding when it's on the menu.
- Create an maintain a peaceful home.
- Become the world's most thoughtful friend.
- Never ask anyone why they wear a Medic Alert bracelet. That's his or her business.
- Tell gardeners of public areas how much you appreciate the beauty they bring to your city.
- When taking family photos, include a few routine, everyday shots.
- Remember that anything worth doing is going to take longer than you think.
- No matter how angry you get with your wife, never sleep apart.
- Carry a kite in the trunk for windy spring days.
- Buy a flashlight for each person in your family to keep in their bedrooms.
- Never marry someone in the hope that they'll change later.
- Own a world globe.
- Own a good set of encyclopedias.
- Teach a Sunday School class.
- Never call anybody stupid, even if you're kidding.
- Find something that's important to your company and learn to do it better than anybody else.
- Don't eat anything covered in chocolate unless you know what's inside.
- Don't eat anything covered in gravy unless you know what's under it.
- Don't drink anything blue.
- When traveling, always pack a white dress shirt and a tie.
- Keep a photograph of each person you have dated.
- Keep a current city and state highway map in your car's glove box.
- Buy your mom flowers and your dad a new tie with your first paycheque.
- Be prudent.
- Be positive.
- Be polite.
- Ever wonder what it takes to become an astronaut? Receive the application package by writing to NASA, Johnson Space Center, Attn: AHX Astronaut Selection Office, Houston, TX 77059.
- If you live in the same city as your mother-in-law, occasionally trim her hedges and wash her car.
- Don't buy cheap picture frames.
- Don't buy a cheap tennis racquet.
- Don't buy a cheap motorcycle helmet.
- Criticize the behavior, not the person.
- Never leave fun to find fun.
- When travelling, carry the phone number and address of your destination in your wallet.
- Collect seashells from your favourite beach.
- Collect menus from your favourite restaurants.
- Rebuild a broken relationship.
- Notify the manager when a restaurant's rest room isn't clean.
- On long-distance road trips, make sure that someone besides the driver stays awake.
- Treat yourself to a professional shoe-shine the next time you're at the airport.
- At least once a month, get real dirty and sweaty.
- Ask your child to read a bedtime story to you for a change.
- Play Monopoly with your in-laws. It will reveal a lot about them.
- Give a trusted auto technician all your repairs, not just the tough ones.
- Write a letter of encouragement to the President - even if he didn't get your vote.
- Find a creative florist and give them all your business.
- Buy an inexpensive Polaroid camera. Sometimes you don't want to wait an hour to see the pictures.
- Send Valentines to your children as well as your wife.
- When eating either cinnamon rolls or prime rib, eat the centre first.
- Add postscripts to your letters. Make them sweet and kind.
- Remember that bad luck or good luck seldom lasts long.
- Never let anyone challenge you to drive faster than you think is safe.
- Stop at the visitor's information centre when entering a state for the first time.
- When you see someone sitting alone on a bench, make it a point to speak to them.
- Keep receipts.
- Wet your hands before lifting a trout from the river.
- Don't force machinery.
- When walking a dog, let the dog pick the direction.
- Teach your children that then they divide anything, the other kid gets first pick.
- Offer your place in line at the grocery checkout if the person behind you has only two or three items.
- Never give a friend's or relative's name or phone number to a telephone solicitor.
- When going to buy a car, leave your good watch at home.
- Don't be so open-minded that your brains fall out.
- Learn to make corn bread in a cast-iron skillet.
- Stand up when an elderly person enters the room.
- Put a love note in your wife's luggage before she leaves on a trip.
- Exercise caution the first day you buy a chain-saw. You'll be tempted to cut down everything in the neighbourhood.
- Never buy an article of clothing thinking it will fit if you lose a couple of pounds.
- Root for your team to win, not the other team to lose.
- Buy an extra box of Girl Scout cookies.
- Be grateful that God doesn't answer all your prayers.
- Accept triumph and defeat with equal grace.
- Always watch the high school band's halftime performances. They practised just as hard as the football teams.
- Never set a drink down on a book.
- Eat at a truck stop.
- Listen to your favourite music while working on a tax return.
- Sniff an open bottle of suntan lotion and a fresh lime to temporarily curb the winter blues.
- Never give a pet as a surprise gift.
- When a child is selling something for a nickel, give a quarter.
- Never ignore an oil warning light.
- After someone apologises to you, don't lecture them.
- When you move into a new house, plant a rosebush and put out a new welcome mat to make it seem like home.
- Make your wedding anniversary an all-day celebration.
- Blow a kiss when driving away from loved ones.
- Carry a couple of inexpensive umbrellas in your car that you can give to people caught in the rain.
- Be willing to accept a temporary inconvenience for a permanent improvement.
- When you complete a course, shake the instructor's hand and thank him or her.
- Contribute something to each Salvation Army kettle you pass during the holidays.
- If you ever own rental property, remember that an unrented house is better than a bad tenant.
- Never order barbecue in a restaurant where all the chairs match.
- Carry a small Swiss Army Knife on your key chain.
- When you really like someone, tell them. Sometimes you only get one chance.
- Never make fun of people who speak broken English. It means they know another language.
- When going through the checkout line, always ask the cashier how she's doing.
- Take more pictures of people than of places.
- Learn and use the four-digit extension to your ZIP code.
- When you need something done, ask a busy person.
- Call three friends on Thanksgiving and tell them how thankful you are for their friendship.
- Read acknowledgements, introductions, and prefaces to books.
- Never underestimate the influence of the people you have allowed into your life.
- Send a "Thinking of You" card to a friend who's experiencing the anniversary of the loss of a loved one.
- Learn your great-grandparent's names and what they did.
- Enter a room or meeting like you own the place.
- Refinish a piece of furniture. Just once.
- Don't use your teeth to open things.
- When you are angry with someone who means a lot to you, write a letter telling him or her why you feel that way - but don't mail it.
- Occasionally walk through old cemeteries and read the gravestones.
- Never keep a free ride waiting.
- Savour every day.
- If you ask someone to do something for you, let them do it their way.
- Once a year take your boss to lunch.
- Wave to train engineers.
- Be able to recommend three or four hometown "must sees."
- Protect your enthusiasm from the negativity of others.
- When visiting state and national parks, take advantage of all tours and lectures given by park rangers.
- Call your parents when you return from a long trip.
- Catch up on the best sellers by listening to books on tape in your car.
- Learn to paddle a canoe.
- When someone you know is down and out, mail them a twenty-dollar bill anonymously.
- Share the remote control.
- When pouring something from one container to another, do it over the sink.
- Aspirin is aspirin. Buy the least expensive brand.
- Never go up a ladder with just one nail.
- Remember the best way to improve your kids is to improve your marriage.
- When moving from a house or apartment, for nostalgia's sake, take a photo of each room while the furniture is still in place.
- Stand out from the crowd.
- Don't spend lots of time with couples who criticise each other.
- Once in your life, paint a picture.
- Never buy a Rolex watch from someone who is out of breath.
- Never fry bacon while naked.
- Never squat with your spurs on.
- Pay attention to pictures of missing children.
- Read biographies of successful men and women.
- Remember, it's not your job to get people to like you, it's your job to like people.
- Offer to say grace at holiday meals.
- Never miss a chance to shake hands with Santa.
- When someone gives you something, never say, "You shouldn't have."
- Remember that the only dumb question is the one you wanted to ask but didn't.
- Watch a video on CPR and emergency first aid with your family.
- Ask yourself if what you're doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.
- When you find a coin on the ground, pick it up and give it to the first person you see.
- Add "The Book of Virtues" by William Bennett (Simon & Schuster, 1993) to your home library.
- Don't expect different results from the same behaviour.
- Spend time with lucky people.
- Always offer guests something to eat or drink when they drop by.
- Make your bed every morning.
- Wash whites seperately.
- Keep a couple of Wet-Naps in the glove box.
- Never date anyone who has more than two cars.
- Treat your parents to a dinner out on your birthday.
- Don't look through other people's medicine cabinets, closets, or refrigerators.
- Hug a cow.
- When someone tells you they love you, never say, "No, you don't."
- When you race your kids, let them win at the end.
- Once a summer, run through a yard sprinkler.
- Experience a real adventure: float the Gauley River in West Virginia.
- Remember that nothing important was ever achieved without someone's taking a chance.
- Stand up for your high principles even if you have to stand alone.
- Watch reruns of "The Wonder Years."
- Every couple of months, spend thirty minutes or so in a big toy store.
- Never resist a generous impulse.
- When babies are born into your family, save the newspaper from that day. Give it to them on their eighteenth birthday.
- Support family businesses.
- Carefully examine your written work when you are finished.
- Even on short ferry rides, always get out of your car and enjoy the crossing.
- Write a thank-you note to your children's teacher when you see your child learning new things.
- When on vacation or a family holiday, don't be too concerned about the cost. This is not a time to count pennies; it's a time to make memories.
- Be faithful.
- Read the "Old Farmer's Almanac."
- Remember that everyone has bad days.
- Learn to eat with chopsticks.
- Make sure the telephone number on your letterhead and business cards is large enough to read easily.
- Never sharpen a boomerang.
- Never intentionally embarrass anyone.
- Question your prejudices.
- Eat moderately.
- Exercise vigorously.
- When you're angry, take a thirty-minute walk; when you're really angry, chop some firewood.
- Be wary of stopping at restaurants displaying "Help Wanted" signs.
- When returning a book or an item of clothing you have borrowed, leave a note of appreciation.
- When you pass a family riding in a bit "U-Haul" truck, give them the "thumbs-up" sign. The need all the encouragement they can get.
- Have your piano tuned every six months.
- Avoid automated teller machines at night.
- Add "Art of the Western World" to your videocassette collection.
- Remember the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
- Have your pastor over for dinner.
- Marry someone who loves music.
- Learn the history of your hometown.
- Take your family to a dude ranch for a vacation.
- See any detour as an opportunity to experience new things.
- When adults are sick, care for them as though they were children.
- Watch what you eat at cocktail parties. Each hors d'oeuvre has about one hundred calories.
- Remember that wealth is not having all the money you want, but having all the money you need.
- When deplaning, thank the captain for a safe and comfortable flight.
- Never break off communications with your children, not matter what they do.
- Have a little money in the bank to handle unforeseen problems.
- Read "Growing a Business" by Paul Hawken (Simon & Schuster, 1987).
- Remember that much truth is spoken in jest.
- Don't forget that your attitude is just as important as the facts.
- Visit the Art Institute of Chicago.
- Take a course in basic car repair.
- Take your dad bowling.
- Don't live with the brakes on.
- Never complain about the food or entertainment at church suppers or charity functions.
- When talking to someone who's a new parent, always ask to see a picture of the baby.
- Remember that true happiness comes from virtuous living.
- Don't obligate yourself to a home mortgage larger that three times your family's annual income.
- When asked, take the time to give out-of-town visitors complete and clear directions.
- Pass down family recipes.
- Talk to your plants.
- Ask for advice when you need it, but remember that no one is an expert on your life.
- If you know you're going to lose, do it with style.
- Say something every day that encourages your children.
- Rescue your dreams.
- Remember that creating a successful marriage is like farming: you have to start over again every morning.
- Teach by example.
- Commit yourself to a mighty purpose.
- Live simply.
- Think quickly.
- Work diligently.
- Fight fairly.
- Give generously.
- Laugh loudly.
- Love deeply.
- Plant more flowers than you pick.
- Remember that all important truths are simple.
- Include your parents in your prayers.
LIFE'S LITTLE INSTRUCTION BOOK ~ H. Jackson Brown, J
