LIFE INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW

Once my university teacher gave us some papers to read through. She said nothing then but here it is what we got.

1. Compliment three people every day,
2. Watch a sunrise at least once a year,
3. Remember other people`s birthdays,
4. Have a firm handshake,
5. Look people in the eye,
6. Learn to play a musical instrument,
7. Sing in the shower,
8. Plant flowers every spring,
9. Own a great stereo system,
10. Be the first to say ‘Hello’,
11. Buy great books even if you never read them,
12. Be forgiving of yourself and others,
13. Drink champagne for no reason at all,
14. Ask for a raise when you feel you`ve earned it,
15. If in a fight, hit first and hit hard,
16. Return all things you borrow,
17. Be a student in some kind of class,
18. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated,
19. Learn to identify the music of Chopin, Mozart and Beethoven,
20. Make new friends and cherish the old ones,
21. Don`t postpone joy,
22. Show respect for teachers,
23. Don`t waste time learning the ‘tricks of trade’, learn the trade instead,
24. Vote,
25. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life,
26. Never mention being on a diet,
27. Make the best of bad situations,
28. Always accept the outstretched hand,
29. Admit your mistakes,
30. Use your wit to amuse, not to abuse,
31. Remember all the news is biased,
32. Demand excellence and be willing to pay for it,
33. Be brave. Even if you`re not pretend to be. No one can tell the difference,
34. Whistle,
35. Hug children after you discipline them,
36. Learn to make something beautiful with your hands,
37. Give to charity all the clothes you haven`t worn during the past three years,
38. Choose a charity in your community and support it generously with your time and money,
39. Don`t take good health for granted,
40. When someone wants to hire you, even if it`s for a job you have little interest in, talk to them. Never close the door on an opportunity until you`ve had a chance to hear the offer in person,
41. Don`t mess with drugs, and don`t associate with those who do,
42. Avoid sarcastic remarks,
43. Choose your life`s mate carefully. From this one decision will come ninety percent of all your happiness and misery,
44. Know how to type,
45. Always have something beautiful in sight, even if it`s just a daisy in a jelly glass,
46. Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures,
47. Tell your children how terrific they are and that you trust them,
48. Take a brisk thirty-minute walk every day,
49. Treat yourself to a massage on your birthday,
50. Never cheat,
51. Smile a lot. It costs nothing and is beyond price,
52. Listen to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly,
53. Respect your children`s privacy. Knock before entering their rooms,
54. Remember people`s names,
55. Keep your watch five minutes fast,
56. Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have,
57. Give yourself an hour to cool off before responding to someone who has provoked you. If it involves something really important, give yourself overnight,
58. When playing games with children, let them win,
59. Skip one meal a week and give what you would have spent to a street people,
60. Strive for excellence, not perfection,
61. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage,
62. Have regular medical and dental check-ups,
63. Keep your desk and work areas neat,
64. Be punctual,
65. Don`t waste time responding to your critics,
66. Avoid negative people,
67. Be original,
68. Never give up on anything you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts,
69. Be suspicious of all politicians,
70. Give people a second chance, not the third,
71. Never take actions when you are angry,
72. Be romantic,
73. Let people know what you stand for – and what you won`t stand for,
74. Don`t quit a job until you`ve lined up another,
75. Commit yourself to a constant self-improvement,
76. Choose work that is in harmony with your values,
77. Don`t allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It`s there for your convenience, not the caller`s,
78. Don`t waste time for grieving over past mistakes. Learn from them and move on,
79. Be a good loser, be a good winner,
80. Never go grocery shopping when you are hungry,
81. Do not major in minor things,
82. Think twice before burdening your friend with a secret,
83. Praise in public, criticize in private,
84. When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go,
85. Resist giving advice concerning matrimony, finances or hair styles,
86. Never pay for work before it`s completed,
87. Keep good company,
88. Keep your promises,
89. Teach the children the value of money and the importance of saving,
90. Be willing to lose a battle in order to win the war,
91. Don`t be deceived by first impressions,
92. Seek out the good in people,
93. Drink eight glasses of water every day,
94. Be cautious about lending money to friends. You might lose both,
95. Never cut what can be untied,
96. Show respect for other`s time. Call whenever you`re going to be more than ten minutes late for an appointment,
97. Hire people smarter than you,
98. Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born,
99. Keep it simple,
100. Take vacations whether you can afford it or not. The memories are priceless,
101. Don`t discuss salaries,
102. Don`t gamble,
103. Beware of the person who has nothing to lose,
104. Lie on your back and look at the stars,
105. When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail,
106. Remember that overnight success usually takes about fifteen years,
107. Leave everything a little better than you found it,
108. Don’t expect money to bring you happiness,
109. Never underestimate your power to change yourself, never overestimate your power to change others,
110. Practice empathy. Try to see things from other people`s points of view,
111. Promise big, deliver big,
112. Get and stay in shape,
113. Don`t burn bridges. You`ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river,
114. Don`t spread yourself too thin. Learn to say ‘no’ politely and quickly,
115. Keep expectations high,
116. Remember that a successful marriage depends on two things: (1) finding the right person, (2) being the right person,
117. See problems as opportunities for growth and self-mastery,
118. Don`t expect life to be fair,
119. Become an expert in time management,
120. Never go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink,
121. Take a nap on Sunday afternoons,
122. Compliment a meal when you are a guest in someone`s home,
123. Contribute five percent of your income to charity,
124. Learn to disagree without being disagreeable,
125. Hear both sides before judging,
126. Don`t say you don`t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson,
127. Don`t delay on acting on a good idea. Chances are someone else has just thought of it, too. Success comes to the one who acts first,
128. Remember that winners do what losers don`t want to do,
129. Seek opportunity, not security,
130. Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation,
131. Reread your favorite book,
132. Don`t think a higher price always means a higher quality,
133. Don`t be fooled. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is,
134. Own a good dictionary,
135. Go through your old photographs. Select ten and tape them to your kitchen cabinets. Change them every thirty days,
136. Be there where people need you,
137. Do not let anyone talk you out of pursuing what you know to be a great idea,
138. Never eat the last cookie,
139. Know when to speak up and keep silent,
140. Do business with those who do business with you,
141. Save an evening a week for yourself,
142. Pay attention to the details,
143. Be a self-starter,
144. Compliment even small improvements,
145. Wear expensive shoes, ties, belts, but buy them on sale,
146. Street musicians are a treasure. Stop for a moment and listen, then leave a small donation,
147. When faced with a serious health problem, get at least three medical opinions,
148. Start meetings on time regardless of who`s missing,
149. Focus on making things better, not bigger,
150. Don`t ever watch hot dogs being made,
151. Begin each day with your favorite music,
152. Don`t let your possessions possess you,
153. Don`t flaunt your success,
154. Get your priorities straight. No one ever said on his death bed “Gee, if I`d only spent more time at the office”,
155. Take care of your reputation,
156. Don`t allow self-pity. The moment this emotion strikes, do something nice for someone less fortunate than you,
157. Do not accept ‘good enough’ for good enough,
158. Improve your performance by improving your attitude,
159. Make a list of 25 things you want to experience before you die,
160. Have some knowledge of three religions other than your own,
161. Every person you meet knows something you don`t – learn from them,
162. Keep a note pad and a pencil on your bedside table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.,
163. Give your loved ones flowers or compliments. Think of a reason later,
164. Look for opportunities to make people feel important,
165. Be open to new ideas,
166. When talking to the press, remember they always have the last word,
167. Set short-term and long-term goals,
168. Be prepared. You`ll never get a second chance to make a good first impression,
169. Go the distance. When you accept a task, finish it,
170. Give people the benefit of the doubt,
171. Decide to get up thirty minutes earlier. Do this for a year, and you will add 7.5 days to your waking world,
172. Don`t make the same mistake twice,
173. Never buy something you don`t need just because it`s on sale,
174. Question your goals by asking “Will this help me become my very best?”
175. Commit yourself to quality,
176. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time. Make it a positive and constructive one,
177. Become someone`s hero,
178. Marry only for love,
179. Count your blessings,
180. Call your parents.