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December 13, 2012

Wisdom From My Facebook Friends

Some time ago I posed this question to my network of Facebook friends:

If you were asked to share with others one gem of wisdom or knowledge you possess, what would it be?

Here are their responses. In the interest of not attributing the quotes to anyone who might not want their names published here, I’ve left off the attributions. However, if any of my Facebook friends who are quoted here tell me they want their names associated with the quotes, I will update this post accordingly. Enjoy the wisdom my friends have offered. There’s some great stuff here.

It’s a cliche, and a quote from a great movie but “the greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love and be loved in return” and it’s true, even if it’s not romantic love.

Never ask for something you are not willing to give.

Talk less and listen more. Most people just want to be heard.

Be the most authentic self you can possibly be.

Learn to forgive yourself.

Do what you love.

Compassion, compassion, compassion – for others and for yourself.

Assume you will leave nothing behind. Your legacy is what you did a moment ago.

If you wait for others to make it happen for you or to fix the world – you wait for ever. Life is about active engagement balanced with patience to let it simmer when needed.

The single most important long-term relationship you will have is the one that you have with yourself.

Random acts of kindness go a long way. Give freely without expecting in return, and don’t express pride for it, that’s not the point.

…and don’t forget to wear sunscreen!

I can’t tell you how to succeed, but I can tell you how to fail: Just try pleasing everyone.

Listen fully and gratefully.

When someone shows you who they are BELIEVE THEM!

There is only one of you in all of space and time, and because there is only one of you, you must be open to those things that motivate you. Because there is only one of you, you must not block your expression. If you block your expression, it will be lost and the world will not have it.

Do not be too controlled by what others think. They are more likely thinking of themselves more than you so go ahead and take risks.

Learn Buddhist philosophy, and MEDITATE EVERY SINGLE DAY. Your mind is an instrument that you must learn to control; attention controls it; attention is a power like none other, and a skill you must hone.

The thing that’s hardest for me to do – Trust those you love. Allow them to be right, give them credit for their achievements and support them in their choices. Be there for them during their mistakes.

After all is said and done, what you have is your word and your memories. Keep them both. Oh, and your sense of humor. Seriously.

This too shall pass.

While it is important to be authentic and true to oneself, true happiness is found when we focus outside ourselves.

Have you read “The Four Agreements”? It’s available on Kindle. It’s got some good advice.

Here’s a quote from my mother: “Sleeping is for the dead, so when you’re dead you’ll have plenty of time to sleep! So get off the bed and get moving now!”

Never take anything for granted, because any or all of it could vanish in an instant.

Be kind, it doesn’t cost a dime, and can have a lifetime of return that even Madoff can’t take away.

Make sure that you tell the people you care about that you love them. You never know how much time you or they have and you never want to be in a position of regretting that you didn’t tell them what they mean to you.

Talk less and do more.

If a life strategy hasn’t worked well, it’s time for self-transformation.

Don’t forget to wipe. Or in other words, if you make a mess – no matter what kind – own it and clean up after yourself.

Don’t take it out on others. It isn’t their fault.

Thirty years ago we used to say: “Live fast, die young and leave a beautiful corpse.” As it turned out, not such a good idea.

You’ll probably regret the things you didn’t do more than those you did.

Luck comes your way every day. What you do with it determines whether it’s good or bad luck!

Ask yourself “What can I do to make a difference.” Then do it from your heart. Do NOT be discouraged by bad behavior.

Judge your life by the quality of your relationships.

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