Tuesday, June 14, 2011

a few lessons i've learned:

learn to play an instrument. start right now, it's never too late, and better opportunities
will arise as a result {for example}.  

immerse yourself in a totally different culture not even remotely similar to your own {i think we'd have fewer miscommunications and a whole lot more peace if we stepped into the shoes of
another world view from time to time}.

even if you are like me and don't ever want kids, try working with them at some point.
grown-ups have so much to learn from the kiddies.

contrary to popular belief, eating a piece of fruit does not balance out a meal of ice cream,
potato chips, and french fries.

being happy really is the best way to look beautiful.
so take time to fill your well and love the people around you. you'll be happier and look gorgeous!

exercise is the best form of stress relief... okay, smashing a car with a baseball bat is the best form of stress relief, but since those opportunities are so rare, make sure you exercise daily.  jumping jacks, yoga, a long walk around the neighborhood, or dancing your heart out in the living room - these things help release the stress chemicals that build up through the day.  if you don't release those chemicals on your own, your body will do it for you in the form a cold or flu {which is even more stressful}.

toilet paper doesn't work. stop being so cheap and buy real coffee filters.

there's no substitution for hand-written letters, both in giving and receiving.
you know how excited you get when you receive a letter from a real person in your mailbox?
you can provide that for someone else with one little stamp.

you really don't need all that stuff.  trust me.

setting your boundaries is not selfish, it's healthy.  your loved ones need you to say no, they need you to take time for relaxation and rejuvenation, they need you to be happy.

you are ridiculously awesome, and so am i.  we all are.
whether or not we fully believe it about ourselves, it is absolutely true.

{photo}

what have you learned?

32 comments:

  1. Such a great list...ALL TRUE!

    What I've learned: It's okay to let your boyfriend/husband do nice things for you "just because". They know you can take care of yourself. Sometimes it just makes them feel good to be sweet to you. :)

    p.s. I just followed one of your links re your morning pages... I am so doing this! Thank you!! And, I now I get "Fill Your Well" even more! After all this time reading your blog, I don't know how I haven't connected this already!
    xox

    ReplyDelete
  2. i've learned that being lucky is not nearly as satisfying as working hard for results.
    even though the working hard part sucks in the beginning

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is just what I needed to hear. And it's always nice to be reminded of these things.

    I think it's always important to remember that it's never too late to follow our dreams... there nothing getting in the way but ourselves.

    Have a great day.
    AND Spread the word: Peace and Love Throughout the World.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Haha I love these. It's so true that being happy is the best way to look beautiful. I love Audrey Hepburn's quote that Happiest girls are the prettiest girls :)

    <3 Belly B

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love this post! I so believe you about playing an instrument. I have always regretted not being able to play anything, but like... my life isn't over. Why couldn't I learn now? You're the best.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love your posts like these :) Totally agree with everything. Especially the one of exercise - I dread it, and yet after I do it, I feel amazing! I don't know why I suddenly forget that :)
    And yes, another thing I'm learning is how to part with my junk! I have so much filling up my little space...I need to purge!
    Thanks for writing this post, Kim - so many simple reminders! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. This list is great! I completely agree with working with kids, especially if you do not plan to have them on your own. I mean, I guess as an Elementary School teacher I am biased, but even though they drive me batty sometimes, these kids breath SUCH energy and some of them just have this joie de vivre that is absolutely contagious!

    Also, being happy is the best way to look beautiful: LOVE that you brought this up. Beautiful list, thank you for sharing!

    xoh
    d

    ReplyDelete
  8. Haha! That guitar link is so true.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Such a fabulous list, Kim. I love that it's one of the first things I've read today! I think I'm going to start working on a list of my own...

    PS: The bit about the car and the baseball bat made me spit out my mouthful of tea! You're too funny :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kim, every post you write is all sorts of fantastic. I adore you. That one about toliet paper -- priceless. And your words just make me want to pick up and move somewhere exotic. Right now, I need to pack and I will be asking myself what do I really need. The only place I have problems cutting back is in the kitchen. Because I think I really do need all that stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love how you write Kim, so true and so from the heart - I love every single post you do. I learn something new every single day - and hope to do so as long as I live.
    A xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. this is just lovely. I have learned a lot. Lately, it's about letting go, trusting that it's all good{even the bad}, etc. Hope you are having a super lovely day.

    ReplyDelete
  13. well this is quite a nice list! and all true! and all food for thought!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love this! You are wise beyond your years. I love what you say about happiness. It is so true! Be happy and you will be beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I loved reading this! Thanks for sharing today. A few lessons I've learned are :

    1. There's no such thing as "crying it all out." There are some things that you can still cry about years from when the actual event occurred.

    2. There are only 24 hours in a day--not 24.5 or 25 hrs. Plan accordingly.

    3. The everyday, mundane, "boring" things in life shape who you are as a person, just as much as the exciting, thrilling, testing things--if not more.

    4. Don't tell people they're going to be your maid of honor or bridesmaid for your future wedding, unless you're actually getting married and planning for your wedding! When the actual day comes and so-and-so from five years ago is NOT your bridesmaid, someone is going to be very mad!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love this lessons learned of yours, but my very favorite one has to be the following. SO very true! "being happy really is the best way to look beautiful.
    so take time to fill your well and love the people around you. you'll be happier and look gorgeous!"

    Thanks for a wonderful list, girly.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love your list Kim and was nodding and smiling in agreement to many of them. I've learned to forget what other people think and just be real. It is so simple, yet so freeing.

    as always, thank you for your beautiful insight, i never come away for your site wanting.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Right on. All of it! Especially, you don't need all that stuff. Minimalism, within bounds, makes me happy.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I think you're very right about spending more time with the kiddos. I haven't really had kids in my life much these past few years. Becoming a parent will definitely be a wake up call if I don't start easing into having them around all the time, haha! And they do have a lot to teach us old folks :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Amazing, Kim! I love your list!

    Gosh, I don't even know where to being with an answer to your question! I've learned so much.. just within the past week, TODAY!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Beautiful list Kim. I love number two, i definitely learnt when travelling last summer in Ghana to see things from the developing world view. It can be a shock to the system. We really are so privileged!

    This list is being saved on my desktop.

    Thanks for making me smile xo

    http://www.mirrorofmyworld.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. and i have learned that no matter what life throws at you, this too shall pass.

    people are kinder than we think.

    and the world has some truly beautiful things to offer us!

    ReplyDelete
  23. What a great list! And so true.

    Change is always an option.

    Emotions happen - so let them.

    ReplyDelete
  24. so true. the simplicity/less stuff part, especially. working on that one and realizing how much happier I am because of it.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh you're just lovely. These are amazing pieces of advice.
    I've learned... that sometimes you have to relax and just let life happen, not be so uptight in pushing it around:)
    xo
    L

    ReplyDelete
  26. This is such a wonderful, insightful, honest post. I just love it. All of it. I especially like the "listen without defending" thing. That is one of the hardest things to do - just listen. And it's also so true about exercise. Love this, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I've learned to appreciate people while you still have them and to go out and live the life that you want - don't let it get away from you.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Fruit doesn't balance out ice cream!?! Darn it, I need to rethink my diet. Haha!

    These are really great things to keep in mind x

    ReplyDelete
  29. so many insightful lessons! Thanks Kim you always bring it home.

    I think one of the most rewarding lessons that I've learned in life so far is that if you put all of your cards out on the table and take very daunting steps fearlessly, life opens up in ways that could never be expected. I think you were talking about that before too when you moved out west. The best things in life come with a gigantic leap off of a cliff.

    ReplyDelete
  30. What a wonderful set of gems of wisdom! I'm trying to think of others to add, but you've done such a fantastic job with it!

    ReplyDelete