I N S T R U C T I O N S   F O R   L I F E

Thank you, sweet Curt and mom for sending these to me on a day I needed them!


  1. Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.
  2. Spend quiet time alone with God.
  3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
  4. Memorize your favorite poem.
  5. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have, or loaf all you want.
  6. When you say, "I love you," mean it.
  7. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
  8. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
  9. Believe in love at first sight.
  10. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
  11. Love deeply and passionately. You may get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely.
  12. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
  13. Don't judge people by their relatives, or by the life they were born into.
  14. Teach yourself to speak slowly but think quickly.
  15. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer smile and ask,"Why do you want know?"
  16. Take into account that great love and great achievement involve great risk.
  17. Call your mother.
  18. Say, "God bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
  19. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
  20. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all your actions. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
  21. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
  22. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
  23. Marry a person you love to talk to. As you get older, his/her conversational skills will be even more important.
  24. Spend some time alone.
  25. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
  26. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
  27. Read more books. Television is no substitute.
  28. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
  29. Trust in God but lock your car.
  30. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.  Do all you can to create a tranquil, harmonious home.
  31. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the curent situation.
  32. Don't bring up the past.
  33. Don't just listen to what someone is saying.  Listen to why they are saying it.
  34. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
  35. Be gentle with the earth.
  36. Pray and meditate on God's Word. There's immeasurable power in it.
  37. Never interrupt when you are being flattered.
  38. Mind your own business.
  39. Don't trust anyone who doesn't close his/her eyes when you kiss.
  40. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
  41. If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. It is wealth's greatest satisfaction.
  42. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
  43. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
  44. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
  45. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
  46. Live with the knowledge that your character is your destiny.
  47. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
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