Life's Little Instructions

Here's something I like to read every once in a while to remind myself to be nice on crabby days:

Life’s little Instructions
Sing in the Shower
Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated
Watch a sunrise at least once a year
Leave the toilet seat in the down position
Never refuse homemade brownies
Strive for excellence, not perfection
Plant a tree on your birthday
Learn three clean jokes
Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full
Compliment three people every day
Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them
Leave everything a little better than you found it
Keep it simple
Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures
Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know
Floss your teeth
Ask for a raise when you feel you’ve earned it
Be forgiving of yourself and others
Over tip a breakfast waitress
Say “thank you” and “please” a lot
Avoid negative people
Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards
Wear polished shoes
Remember other people’s birthdays
Commit yourself to constant improvement
Carry jumper cables in your trunk
Have a firm handshake
Send lots of Valentine cards, Sign them “someone thinks your terrific”
Look people in the eye
Be the first to say “Hello”
Use the good silver
Return all things you borrow
Make new friends but cherish the old ones
Keep secrets
Sing in a choir
Plant flowers every spring
Have a dog
Always accept an outstretched hand
Stop blaming others, Take responsibility for every area of your life
Wave at kids on school buses
Be there when people need you
Feed a stranger’s expired parking meter
Don’t expect life to be fair
Never underestimate the power of love
Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation
Don’t be afraid to say “I made a mistake”
Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”
Compliment even small improvements
Keep your promises (no matter what)
Marry only for love
Rekindle old friendships
Count your blessings
Call your mother

By: H. Jackson Brown, Jr.