You can’t please everyone (or even most people) for longer than a couple of weeks.

You aren’t supposed to get through life without scuffing your knees, breaking your heart, or taking a wrong turn.

No one completes you: You are complete all on your own.

Your value is not dictated by how much emotion or time someone else is willing to spend on you.

Compassion, good manners, and a calm demeanor will get you out of most situations faster than rage, entitlement, and rudeness will.

Love is a precious and valuable gift.  It’s almost as valuable as time with someone you love.

That said, love is not enough.

No one is going to swoop in and save you or grant you three wishes.  If you want something, you had better work for it.

Life is lovely and exciting, but it isn’t fair.

When it’s over, you’ll wish you put down that phone and paid closer attention.

You’re not supposed to be like everybody else.  This is why you have your very own body, mind and soul.

Most people get jealous, angry and worked up over stupid things.

Sincere apologies mean something.

Life is hard enough without having to spend it with hard people.

Aside from your actions and reactions, you can’t control it, whatever it is.

The smallest lie can cause the biggest heartache.

You’re much smarter, stronger and more capable than you think–and much less invincible.

Every person on this earth is a human being and all human beings were created equal, so don’t look up and don’t look down.

Your heart can be mistaken but your gut is always right, even when you don’t want it to be.

No one is living perfect life, they just have perfect moments like you and me. Everyone has problems.

Don’t bother with people for whom decency/kindness/honesty is something they have to “work on”.

Some obligations are just blessings with the wrong name.

When you feel something is right, go with it.

Opportunity does not come knocking, it waits for you to find it.

You really don’t have to put up with all of that crap, you know?

Time cannot be rewound.

You’re truly beautiful in ways you cannot imagine.

The argument that, “We’re all going to die anyway” is a stupid one.  If this is your argument for something, don’t do it. If this is someone else’s argument, challenge it.

Keeping your nose clean and living with dignity upgrades everything from your relationships to your mental stability.

(Photo Courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar. Edition: March 1958)