Life's Little Instruction Book

*   Have a firm handshake .

*   Look people in the eye.

*   Sing in the shower .

*   Own a great stereo system.

*   If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.

*   Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday .

*   Always accept an outstretched hand.

*   Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell  the difference.

*   Whistle.

*   Avoid sarcastic remarks .

*   Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90 per cent of all your happiness or misery.

*   Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out .

*   Lend only those books you never care to see again.

*   Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have .

*   When playing games with children, let them win .

*   Give people a second chance, but not a third .

*   Be romantic.

*   Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

*   Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.

*   Don't allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It's there for your convenience, not the caller's .

*   Be a good loser.

*   Be a good winner

*   Wave at the children on a school bus .

*   When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.

*   Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born .

*   Keep it simple.

*   Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.

*   Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river .

*   Live your life so that your epitaph could read, No Regrets

*   Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the one's you did.

*   Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you .

*   Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone else choose it for you.

*   Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only stay a few minutes .

*   Begin each day with some of your favorite music.

*   Once in a while, take the scenic route.

*   Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, 'Someone who thinks you're terrific.'

*   Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.

*   Keep a note pad and pencil on your bed-side table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.

*   Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job .

*   Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.

*   Make someone's day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you .

*   Become someone's hero.

*   Marry only for love .

*   Count your blessings.

*   Compliment the meal when you're a guest in someone's home.

*   Remember that 80 per cent of the success in any job is based on your ability to deal with people.

*   Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them .

*   Don't expect life to be fair.

 

 

(via Sapan)

Dozen

A dozen days. A dozen mood-swings. A dozen experiments. A dozen analyses. A dozen conclusions. One decision. That is pretty much what the last dozen days did. As a child, used to being a prankster while being reticent, an irrational thinker with a rational behaviour and a born leader. Winning was not an option, but altruism was a habit. Life, from the onset, was binary.
Life was a bliss for him. Nothing was unachievable. Nothing was impossible. Until, he encountered time. Fascinated by the new competitor, he geared himself up. And the race began. Life, on the other hand, played double-cross. All along, the tutor knew about the competitor, but did not educate the pupil, the presence of the mysterious menacing and cruel opponent. He, as a child, walked straight into the race. Lest he knew that the race course had boxing rings. A total of three rings. Rings where there were no referees. Rings where there were no rounds. Rings where there are no winners. Only the opponent can tell who the winner is, the opponent – TIME. And so the race began. He and Time, both raced towards ring one. Boxed each other, and after knocking TIME out, he ran towards the ring two. And then, he was told rule number zero - “At any given moment in the race, you will always be a function of the past and present. Future will not recognize you, unless you hold you function true. Differentiate the function with respect to time, and the key for the future will open.” With that, he was asked to step out of the ring and wait for the opponent. Life, the tutor, smiled. Wickedly. For one, the pupil defeated time at the cost of some more time. Ah, what a tutor!
After coming across the ring of past, and waiting in the ring of present, he discovered something new. For, having to wait for the time to make the future ring as present, he wasted his chance in the past ring. The chance where he could have learned and understood his opponent better. He, having learned a lesson in the past from his tutor, decided not to regret and make full use of the future-present ring. And when the losing opponent from the past ring came to the future ring, the future ring became the present ring. And the fight began. “When you fight, your instinct takes over your mind. The mantra for a victory is to let the mind take over your instinct.”  And this is what happened. Life played villain. Time mocked. He got knocked. And time moved to the future, leaving him in the present-past ring. Gathering strength, he got up and walked towards the future ring. That is when he was told rule number zero-one - “Thou shall not enter the future-ring, if you are not the winner of the present-ring.” And, the race was over. He lost. The winner, lost. The undefeated champion, was finally defeated. He saw his tutor praising time, while winking at him. He felt betrayed.
Decades passed. And he started racing again. Wounds of time, take time to heal. So much of it, that no medicine can make you run faster and beat the invincible. He was finally fit. And he ran again, against time. No, this time, alongside time. Rule number one - “Return to the same course, will result in the elimination of the past-ring.” A sign of relief followed by haunting memories of the past-ring. The tutor whispers “To make it to the future-ring, don’t let go of the present-ring. Hold onto time, and beat the hell out of it. After all, time is just another competitor.”
Lesson learned. Fight begins.