Precious Advice

The other night I received an email from my good friend Alex.   The subject line of the email said "Precious Advice" which caught my attention.   After reading the email I immediately felt the impact of the words I had read.   Every line has a message and meaning and I knew it was too good for me to keep to myself.  Everyone can relate to some parts of this message and I hope it moves you like it did for me.   I have already told myself to re-read this post from time to time so that I will never forget this precious advice that was passed on to me.   I hope you share this with others so that they can be moved and inspired to listen to the advice.

'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.'

1.  Pray
2.  Go to bed on time.
3.  Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4.  Say NO to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5.  Delegate tasks to capable others.

6.  Simplify and unclutter your life.
7.  Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8.  Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9.  Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10.  Take one day at a time.
11.  Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12.  Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13.  Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14.  K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15.  Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16.  Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17.  Get enough rest.
18.  Eat right.
19.  Get organized so everything has its place.
20.  Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21.  Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22.  Every day, find time to be alone.
23.  Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray..
24.  Make friends with Godly people.
25.  Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26.  Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Jehovah.'

27.  Laugh.
28.  Laugh some more!
29.  Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30.  Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31.  Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32.  Sit on your ego.
33.  Talk less; listen more.
34.  Slow down.
35.  Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36.  Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

Intense isn't it?  Did it make you think?   How many lines in this list made you say to yourself, "I need to be better about that."  Or "that is SO TRUE."  Or more importantly "I am going to start doing that."  What line/s struck you the hardest?

For me every line has meaning to me and has made me realize more than ever how much I need to really start doing some of these bullet points.   For example- find time to be alone everyday.   Give yourself enough time so you aren't rushing everywhere- aka don't overbook myself.   Learning how to say NO to projects that won't fit into your schedule.

My list could keep going on because really I need to work on all of the things that are listed and I hope this post inspires you to do the same.   I hope you take in this precious advice and live a more balanced and healthy life.