These aphorisms were first penned by the author in 1996.
- A word to the wise is sufficient.
- An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
- Before venturing forth, ask yourself “What if I’m wrong“.
- Always establish a contingency plan.
- Get to know thyself and take charge of your life.
- Always choose the high path (morally high).
- You are what you think, so guard your truest thoughts.
- Guard your expectations to avoid painful disappointments.
- Convert your expectations to preferences to gain serenity.
- Follow your passions, but use your head.
- Falling in love is to lose your head (be Careful).
- If you cannot have that which you love, then love that which you have.
- It is much easier to get your way if you have more than one way.
- Evoke thankfulness daily to develop healthy attitudes.
- Emotional hang-ups will cripple the spirit.
- Wisdom has no fear of death.
- Knowledge combats fear and confusion.
- Knowledge of when to break rules is a great asset.
- Knowledge facilitates growth and acceptance of change.
- Accept change as part of a natural process.
- Embrace sound principals and stick to them.
- Be quick to admit errors and to change your course.
- With love in the heart, the truth can be spoken clearly.
- Pain itself is an opportunity to learn something useful.
- No Pain: No Gain.
- Intense pain is not permanent (so take comfort in that fact).
- This, too, Shall pass.
- It is sacred upon us to never be a source of pain.
- Money and power are like air; We need enough and no more.
- Avoid power, lust, and greed; For they will destroy the spirit.
- Bad habits are addictive: Nip them in the bud.
- Maintain awareness in the “Here and Now”: Revere the moment.
- The past is dead, and the future is imagined. So, be in the moment.
- Take full responsibility for your feelings. Do not blame others.
- We create our own world so assume full responsibility.
- The answer is inside of you, and when the time is right, it will become clear.
- Revel in thy own uniqueness and love thyself unconditionally.
- Be patient and let the magic of time work its miracles.
- Loneliness is a state of mind.
- Bloom where you are planted.
- The Lazy Person works the Hardest.
- Less is more. The practice of Meditation could be beneficial!.
Now maybe one or two of the above items speaks to you. That is what you focus on until you advance to another item or two. By and by you will complete your destiny smiling.
Do you ever wonder about “The purpose of your life”?
To grow and to learn, and learn, and learn more may be one answer.
WHAT IS YOUR OWN ANSWER?
The above are thoughts from a fifth generation Californian living in the San Francisco Bay Area. My ancestors, the Coombs, Patchetts, and Carpenters came to Napa California in 1847, 1850, and 1860 as described in the book “The Saga of the Seven Sisters”, available from www.amazon.com. They lived long and healthy lives in a wilderness without electricity and material possessions. What may they teach us about how to live in our modern world? They may say that freedoms are lost when excessive stuff clutters the mind!
ADDENDUM
- Live for your EULOGY rather than your RESUME.
- LIFE BEGINS AT FORTY and may begin again with each new experience.
- Knowing who you are is a most important truth, yet it often goes unknown.
- To live fully, one must accept the fact of death.
- Fear can cripple so deal with it constructively.
- The problem is the solution. To clearly identify the problem is the solution.
- The purpose of our lives is to become aware of our special place.
- Revel in your uniqueness.
- The chemistry of the male and of the female will be forever a catalyst for closeness and distance, serenity and discord.
- An independent mind knows no loneliness.
- Do not be attached to your opinions and preferences.
- Not everyone can be famous, but we can all be good.
