Life After Death

Don't Worry. Be Happy.

Enjoy life. Do what you want to do. Live how you want to.

This was written by Regina Brett of 'The Plain Dealer', Cleveland, Ohio . She says: 'To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 Lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 70 in March so here goes.'


1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God . He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their Journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

My Life Goals

weight - by this time next year I want to see myself at maybe 130 lbs? wearing < 10 size clothes

appearance - I want my teeth fixed. I want better glasses. I want to dress more classy and have my hair look better. I want to upkeep my nails and beauty more frequently than I do now

money - I want the comfort of not having to go into the grocery store and plan my dinner by what's on sale. I want to be comfortable with being able to buy steaks, meat, etc. I want a nice cash reserve in my savings for emergencies.

marriage - I want to be married by 30 or engaged to a man who makes as much or more than me and can provide emotional, financial, and physical security for me and my children.

church - I want (need) to be involved in a Christian church and community. I need to read and learn the bible because my parents never taught me this nor took me to church (terrible isn't it ?)

kids - I want to have at least 3 kids (at least a girl and a boy) and give them lots of love and a hopeful life.

career - I am doing excellent in this life goal. I need to continue to find ways to make achievements

family - I want to marry into a large close-knit family

pets - I hope my cats will stay with me forever..! I want them too have more space too!

house - as much as I am blessed to have a roof over my head and my own private space, I hope to have a nice house in a nice neighboorhood with parks.

community - I want to be more involved in the community

friends - I want to be more involved and closer to my friends and develop new relationships

volunteer - I want to volunteer some of my time (like at a church or habitat for humanity)

education - I want to continue this, but most of my formal education life goal will be completed this May. this does not include the engineering licensure exam I will have to study and pass next year.

recreation - I want to hike on trails, camp in the woods, enjoy outdoor activies, learn to sew clothing, learn home economics, learn how to cook different foods, art, sculpt, etc

skills - I need to continue my career skills but also learn home-life skills such as home maintenance, car maintenance, self-defence, etc..

hobbies - this is explained under recreation

health - I need to stop eating out all the time and eat less fatty foods and more fruits and vegetables.

Another reason to add to my huge list why I want to move the fuck out of my apartment community

Today I see there are signs all over the hallways and one on my door like my neighbors that is in FULL CAPS and say do not smoke in the halls.. if you are caught it will be a $50.00 fine. I want to write FUCK YOU and STOP YELLING at your residents in CAPs like they did on this letter and drop it off in their box. They could have been more polite about the communication.

I pay $920 for this shit?!!!

Help me please!

First I want to thank roseprofessor for sending me a nice postcard of Newport, Rhode Island. Keep those roses growing strong.

I haven't been feeling much like writing on live journal lately. I've been having a lot on my mind lately. Stress with school, work, boyfriend, and myself. I've also been feeling kind fo depressed and fat, and lazy.

Balance. Think about balance. I'm also realizing that as much as I like Joe's company it's a distraction from the goals and things I want to accomplish during my free time like exercise, study, sleep, and get personal things done.

My life is going to change after I get out of school. I keep telling myself that.

Today in the mail I received the $110 diploma frame that I ordered through the school's preferred vendor. It's lovely and a bit bigger than my undergraduate degree. I'm not attending the ceremony and do not how I'm going to get through the red tape to get my degree mailed to me.

I'm probably going to have two parties. The first will be a barbecure at my dad's house in Hammond, Indiana with all his friends and our family. My friends are welcome to come to if they want to drive an hour there and an hour back if they got nothing better to do and want to get out. Then I'm going to try and rent the clubhouse at my apartment complex for my graduation party. I'd like to have Panda Express catering (Dave and Amy, I'm stealing your catering idea~!)

So what are my plans after getting done with school?

Drink... drink... oh wait... seriously! I'm looking forward to getting my serious regarding my health and exercise goals.
Another goal of mine uis to read and learn as much as I can about real estate, buying my first home, mortgages, home maintenance, and other issues regarding home ownership.

I will achieve my goals.

I will buy a place to live this fall and it will be a smart decision.

I will be healthier this fall.

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