50 Things I've Learned...

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
~Ernest Hemingway

50 Things I’ve Learned—some random, some not so much…

Being born healthy and loved is a great gift.
Being raised to be tough and independent has served me well.
Great books can change the world;
Beautiful writing can change the world for the better.
Conversations with my dad—especially throughout my childhood—made all the difference for me.
Moving, traveling and any kind of adventure make me happy and fulfilled…
…So does being comfortable and relaxed at home.
A perfect flour tortilla, warm off the comal, is usually the start of an amazing meal.
Settling for less than one deserves will only get one less than they deserved before they started settling for less.
A big family teaches you a lot: good, bad & ugly—and all are valuable lessons.
A good omelet is a thing of beauty.
Being the new kid in class (I went to 12 different schools) taught me how to introduce myself, meet people, and make friends.
Being short doesn’t mean I can’t kick your ass.
Being an ass-kicker doesn’t mean I won’t also get my own ass kicked.
Nothing breaks my heart like sports.
Sports has also brought me lots of joy.
Sleep is a fuel like no other when it comes to me feeling energized and at my best.
Education is only beneficial if it teaches someone how to think responsibly for themselves. (I am fortunate that I got this kind of education, both at school and from my parents.)
50 years now, and inheriting my dad’s better-than-perfect pilot vision is still working for me.
Giving someone the benefit of the doubt is a wonderful way to treat a fellow human being…
…But remembering when and how you were let down is a wonderful reminder for yourself.
Choosing to not let people “rent space” in your head, heart or soul is the best thing you can do for sustained happiness.
True love can be felt in your core.
People will let you down—doesn’t mean you have to be down, much less stay down.
Being stubborn is the only way to be truly happy as an individual.
They pretty much use the same scissors at both the expensive and the inexpensive hair salons (of course, I do have a pretty simple hairstyle, so there’s that.)
My dad taught me to never pass up a good adventure because life is short—and he was right.
My Tia Ana taught me to never buy cheap, uncomfortable shoes because life is long—and she was right.
I”m forever grateful that my parents allowed me—among other things—to get lost, fall off my bike, make mistakes, lose, and learn for myself that life can be tough, so I’ll need to be just as tough if not tougher.
Life is too short to not take advantage of learning as much as possible and to take in all that knowledge for all you can get from it.
Life is too long to drink bad beer. Or bad wine.
Having a nice complexion, or neat handwriting won’t mean much when I’m dead…although I guess that is true for all of this.
For me, the best friends are the ones you have forever.
Worrying about things out of my control is a waste of time and opportunity.
Getting lost still means I went somewhere.
Sometimes winging it turns out better than I planned.
Laughter and a natural smile are my favorite languages, and the best ones the world has to share.
Inconsiderate people show the world how unhappy they are.
Blaming a child for bad parenting is like blaming a restaurant server for a steak not being cooked properly – it’s not their fault; but eventually the child becomes an adult and can decide who they’ll be and the server can get another job. We’re eventually responsible for the choices we make.
Music is not my jam, but literature most definitely is.
Group texts with my siblings (or conversations if we’re together) always make me laugh and are good for my psyche. (P.S. Tony, you’re crazy! LOL)
A king-sized bed is not too big.
No one will ever be as enthusiastic as I am about my life and my dreams and that’s perfectly fine. I was raised to have enough enthusiasm for myself.
Nothing lasts forever, and no one lives forever, but that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy all I can for as long as I can.
The older I get, the more life I live, the more I’m certain that being a victim, a martyr or being afraid is not my idea of living life.
In 1978, I told my mom I wasn’t going to believe everything I read in the newspaper—boy, was I wise!
Choosing wisely in love is one of the best choices I’ve ever made.
Unless it’s overflowing out of the cup, I can’t have too much ice.
Great adventures, that include great food, and great experiences, make living my life worthwhile.
No matter what tonight or tomorrow brings, being truly alive in the moment I’m in is always my goal.