I was running late to meet a friend the other day. Nothing was going right. The dogs wouldn’t go to the bathroom outside on command, instead they thought it was play time. Once I convinced them (with lots of cookies) to go, I realized I hadn’t even warmed up my car yet.
As I finally took off, going through the list in my mind of things I need to do when I leave the house, I pulled behind a very slow vehicle. Very slow. Painfully slow. I thought to myself, this always happens when I’m in a hurry. Inevitably I get behind someone who is in no hurry at all!
Instead of getting angry I actually laughed out loud. I laughed because I realized that there are life lessons we learn over time and this was definitely one of them. I could do nothing about it, so why not just relax and apologize once I got there?
So that’s what I did. As I was driving I thought about some of the other lessons life has taught me. Some of them silly, some serious, but all things I didn’t “get” in my younger years. Here’s a few:
If you are upset because you’re running late you will inevitably wind up behind a very slow car….for a very long time.
Trust your gut.
Using control + alt + delete saves a lot of aggravation.
Asking your spouse to help with something without specifying a time frame means it will be completed when he’s ready, not when you are.
Going through a 30-minute evening pick-up makes for a much calmer morning.
Don’t break a chickens’ routine. Greeting them earlier then their typical wake-up equals very grouchy girls.
It’s easy to spend more time researching something than it takes to accomplish it.
Creating and sticking to a budget is only painful for a short period of time.
Always have chocolate on hand. Always.
If you’re in a bad mood it will be a bad day.
Don’t compare your life to others because you have no idea where they’ve been, what their life is truly like or where they’re going.
It’s never too late to say “I’m sorry.”
Neon clothing and big hair are best kept in the 80’s.
Start saving for retirement with your very first paycheck.
Each time something in your life seems like a catastrophe, ask yourself if it will matter 5 years from now.
Don’t sing in the car when at a stoplight or when the windows are down. Only Mariah Carey sounds like Mariah Carey.
Forgive yourself and others.
Be grateful. Every day for every little thing and don’t take anything for granted.
What are some of the lessons you’ve learned?
