My Take on The Points Listed Above:

– Everything is Temporary:  You begin to realize that when you reach the age of about 45-50, and especially when your AARP card arrives in the mail, totally unexpectedly (!)

(Which means you are officially “old”) 🙂

Because that means – whether you like it or not – you are in the final 1/3 of your life. (Which is really not a bad place to be. At least you have made it that far – – – and it sure beats the alternative)!

– Life Isn’t Fair: This might sound crazy, but I think this point is actually incorrect. Because I know that God (or a ‘Creator’ whatever term you prefer) exists, and I think that Karma does also. And in the end,  everyone will be judged appropriately.

And without getting too religious here (which I am not) I also believe that the Creator will only give you the challenges that you can actually attain. So, be happy if you have it tough in life. You can do it, and you have earned that high level of  Performance!

– Family Matters More Than Friends: That is probably true, if you do have a family, but for the folks that do not, it is not exactly accurate or fair. Friends (and pets) can become family also.

– Others Treat You The Way You Treat Yourself: Would you believe that I have never heard that expression before?! It’s true, and I will have to think about this one for a while.

– Happiness is a Choice and Requires Hard Work: Yes, for sure. Because everyone will be challenged at some point in their life. And I think that most people will eventually learn that it’s the little and most natural things that make you the happiest in life.

I read the book once: DO YOU! by Russell Simmons, and in it he described how he had seen many impoverished young men suddenly become super wealthy via the recording industry. And while they had fun buying the cars, homes, and toys that most young men buy – they later realized that all that money and fame (including with women) did not make them any happier in life. Their joy actually came from working with others to create something new and meaningful. So, I agree that life isn’t about the destination (the money/fame/success at the end). It’s all about the journey.

– Beneath Anger is Always Fear: That is 95% accurate, but I do not feel that anger is always driven by fear, for example  in those rare cases where someone is righting a wrong in an appropriate manner (for example: When the U.S. fought the Nazis in World War II).   

– Things Don’t Matter That Much: 100% accurate, when referring to “Things” like material possessions. The old saying: “You can’t take it with you (your money when you die)” is true – and very probably for a reason.   

– The World is Bigger Than You Got to Experience: True, even though the world is certainly “getting smaller” every day, thanks to the Internet. Still though, very few people could understand and handle the life experience information coupled with the 7.7 billion people that live on our planet today. (And that does not include the non-human factors information associated with being alive, such as the earth, our natural environment, and the heavens above). 

– A lifetime Isn’t Very Long: True, and especially when compared to the age of everything else, like: The earth (4.5 billion years old), the number of years that humans have been on Earth (at least 300,000 years), and the total number of human generations that have existed before ours (at least 10,000)! 

I took a Geology class in school once as an elective, and was stunned at the size of the numbers used to describe the field (the Earth) and time itself. Those were some HUGE numbers! 

– You Played it Too Safe: I hear that often from life story writers. Many will say that they “wish they would have taken that chance…” when they could have earlier in life.

But at the same time,  you don’t want to be too crazy or impulsive with life choices – and especially if you are a family breadwinner. Probably the best advice here would be to do both at once if possible: Don’t gamble everything, but don’t be afraid to take a few chances in life also.

Because you only live once!

… Right? 

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Why don’t YOU share what you’ve learned in life with your family (and maybe friends)?

They will love you for it.

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