Sage wisdom

And so I was wondering and mentally wandering what to write for today's blog...the weather had warmed, I had done a great deal of way-early 'spring' cleaning over the weekend, yet as is typical on a late Sunday afternoon I had to start gearing down at 4pm to be asleep shortly after 6pm. C'est la guerre!

I had lots of ideas, many of which were perfect for a "Fried Fridays" slant (maybe I should start a "Mad Mondays" and give you a double-dose, eh?!)...and then I remembered an email I received. You know the kind, the one where you hear from someone suddenly when it's been over a year, only to realize they did a mass-forwarding of a message they liked and had no personal message to add whatsoever...but the messages (in part) were worthy of passing on (clarification forthcoming)...


Mental Feng Shui

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.

FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married. (As with any idea there are exceptions, though!)

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely .

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Think quickly but talk slowly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze, even if in a public place.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your act ions.

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.


Wonderful advice, it is...too bad the message came with all this other garbage that was part of the email:

"Lotus Touts: You have 6 minutes.
There's some mighty fine advice in these words, even if you're not superstitious. This Lotus Touts has been sent to you for good luck from the Anthony Robbins organization. It has been sent around the world ten times so far.
Do not keep this message. The Lotus Touts must leave your hands in 6 MINUTES. Otherwise you will get a very unpleasant surprise. This is true, even if you are not superstitious, agnostic, or otherwise faith impaired.

Now, here's the FUN part!
Send this to at least 5 people and your life will improve.
1-4 people: Your life will improve slightly.
5-9 people: Your life will improve to your liking.
9-14 people: You will have at least 5 surprises in the next 3 weeks
15 and above: Your life will improve drastically and everything you ever dreamed of will begin to take shape.

A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart. Do not keep this message."

The way I see it, a true friend wouldn't send this garbage in the first place, much less believe it in the second place. That's the fun and challenge of life, which is just like going out to pick your own strawberries: choose wisely for the best tasting ones. And remember: you were given a functioning brain for a very good reason...