What I Have Learned

I was leaving a note for someone and I mentioned an important thing I had learned in life and that got me thinking about what it is that I have learned that I consider important. So, here they are in no particular order.

• Stop often and appreciate the moment. Look for something you have never seen before in your surroundings. Instead of hurrying on, pause and look. I found going out with a camera was very helpful with this. {Which brings up the question, "Why am I no longer doing this?" for my consideration.}

• My sister used to say that when you stop learning, your brain starts to die. I have several reasons for taking classes at my age and not the least of them is this.

• Impose some structure on yourself no matter how minimal. This is another reason I take classes. I know what I am going to be doing for two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If there is no structure in my life, I feel I am wasting it. {Fred doesn’t feel this way. He rejoices in having no structure in his life!}
• Keep your surroundings reasonably orderly. I am not a fanatic about housework but it is my job in this partnership that Fred and I have to keep the surroundings reasonably neat. I do it reasonably well.   I have also found that I become miserable and irritable when a certain level of disorder is present.
• Have something close, something middle-distance and something in the future to look forward to. Right now I am looking forward to Christmas which I classify as close and to my trip to Italy which is still being planned. Middle distance? Well, during these holidays, I have an interesting-looking new  Italian grammar book I intend to work in daily. {I LIKE grammar! }
• Accomplish one task, no matter how small, a day. Yes, I know, I know! I can see the rolling eyes from here! SUCH a cliche.  But this is one of the things that I think about at night. I ask myself what have I done today that I am pleased about. Sometimes it is a necessary evil, like housework and sometimes it is something I have done for myself like take a couple of hours to read…
• Do whatever is necessary to keep in good health. If it is necessary to lose weight, gird the loins, get the right mindset and do it. If what is undermining your health is an addiction, seek professional help. If you haven’t got good health, and it is something that can be fixed, then by not doing it, you are undermining your future level of happiness.
• In as far as is possible, surround yourself with people who appreciate you and who support you. Fred is my number-one cheerleader. Everything I do now and have done in the past, he is right there with a word of appreciation and support. In the year I lost so much weight, I would probably have given up during the winter months when walking twice a day in the Vermont winter was so difficult if it hadn’t been for his support.

To do today:

• wrap the other present for Fred
• put out the recyclables
• clean off the dining room table
• sweep and mop the kitchen and dining  room floors.
• walk to the drug store after 11:30  and pick up medications for both of us.
• check to see if I have any homework besides studying for the test on Thursday. {Incidentally, I made 100 on the test on relationship words and possessive pronouns and adjectives.}

Until later….