I Believe

Recently I was asked to provide a few words of wisdom for a relative. Not one to limit my words (sorry), I ended up writing the following and thought it was worth sharing on my blog.

1. Always look on the bright side of life. Yes, that's a really swell Monty Python song. It's also a good way to turn around a really bad day.
2. More and bigger isn't always better. Sometimes just a little of something great is better than a lot of something mediocre. If you're inclined to read about economics, a book called "Deep Economy" by Bill McKibben does a much better job of discussing this idea than I do.
   
3. "No" can be a positive, good word. Learn to say it and exercise its positive use often.
4. We all have a bright light inside of us and it is our jobs in this lifetime to uncover that light and share it with the world, even if that means with just one other person.
5. It isn't just a bumper sticker...practice random acts of kindness. A little smile and a kind word can go a long, long way. You just never know whose day you'll be changing for the better.
6. Find people you admire and know more than you do and sit at their feet to learn. Do it even if sometimes it is just a little painful.