When I was younger I used to claim I had no morals, no rules to live by…well that was just about as much of a bucket of false bravado as you can get. *grin*  Everyone has rules, morals, and life lessons – all of which were probably learned through examples.  Here are my top five in no certain order:

1.  There must be an action before any valid complaints can be aired.  Example:  If I don’t vote, you don’t have to listen to me rant and rave about the horrors of our political system.  (This one got my husband out to the polls pretty quick.)

2.  Timing is the key to most everything – so don’t get frustrated.  Example: Although I wrote almost nothing in my personal journals all through university, when I graduated I spewed out almost four journals worth of fantastic stuff – I simply needed to wait.

3.  Mantras work wonders if you say them and actually attempt to believe the message.  Example of one of my favorites: “Blessed am I to reside in such a beautiful temple.”  (I mean really, who could say that and not feel good about themselves??)

4.  A photo cannot capture something you’re moving too fast to see.  Example: If I’m on holiday, see a beautiful sunset, snap a photo then rush on to keep up with a tour – I promise the photo will not due the moment justice – but if instead I slow down, stand in front of the view for a few minutes, breath deeply a few times, then snap a picture – even when the photo comes out lacking the spark that existed at that moment, I’ll still remember how it felt to stand there.

5.  Take comfort in the fact that there are very few things that only one person alone understands.  Example:  Even though I’ve felt so very alone going through my health experiences, there are hundreds and thousands of people facing a similar situation – I am not alone in my grief, my hopes, my horrid doctor’s visits – I can take comfort that somewhere in the world stands a young woman who knows what I’m going through.