21 Suggestions For Success

Every morning when I get up and around -- albeit later than it should be -- one of the first things I see as I go to brush my teeth is the poster my brother bought me for Christmas a few years back. (Wow, that was a really long sentence.) At the time, Michael felt very strongly about what this poster said and felt that he wanted me to have a copy. He even had it framed for me. The poster is "21 Suggestions for Success" by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. Now, you've probably seen this everywhere, but just in case, I thought I'd post it on my blog. Enjoy the wise words!

"21 Suggestions for Success"
By H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
2. Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.
3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
6. Be generous.
7. Have a grateful heart.
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
14. Be loyal.
15. Be honest.
16. Be a self-starter.
17. Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
19. 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.
20. Take good care of those you love.
21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.

I think the one I most need to work on is #5. I don't have much of a problem forgiving others -- I am very unforgiving of myself. Heck, I'm still giving myself grief for things I said and did when I was a kid dealing with her parents' divorce. (And, really, in the grand scheme of things, they weren't that bad at all.) I need to learn to just let go. I think I'd be a happier person if I could just do that.

Well, I need to work on #1, too, but I figure that I don't have much control over that one. Oh, I'd have control over whether or not I consent to marrying someone, but that's not even an issue at the moment. I'm very much going with "Let go and let God" on that one... Right now, at least. I'm sure there'll come a point over the next few weeks where I'm watching the 2005 Pride and Prejudice every night and lamenting the lack of Mr. Darcy in my life. His hands are cold, you guys.

In the spirit of letting go and letting God, here's a pretty song that speaks to me this week. Or maybe it's just pretty and has me in a sappy mood. Whatever. It's "No Envy, No Fear" by Joshua Radin. Enjoy and, if you're so inclined, get sappified!

Have a great Sunday, all!