60 Things I Have Learned in 59 Years

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Have you heard “With age, comes wisdom”? These 60 Things I Have Learned in 59 Years are evidence of the truth to that statement in my life.

Today’s post is a little different for me. It’s a little personal and reflective. Today is my 59th birthday. Is that a milestone? I don’t know but it has caused me to reflect upon things I have learned in the last 59 years. 

Hi! I am Shirley and this is my blog. Want to know why I started this blog? That story can be found right here. As of the writing of this post, I have been blogging 5 years during which time I have proven that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks!

LIFE LESSONS 1-10

1. Say your prayers.
2. Love Jesus, He Loves You.
3. Time heals all wounds.
4. You will never get over losing loved one’s who die but you will, in time, learn to live your life without them in it.
5. If you watch your pennies, the dollars will take care of themselves.
6. Apologize to people you hurt.
7. Tell people you love, that you love them.
8. Hugs make the world go around, give and receive hugs.
9. Be open minded.
10. Quit eating when you are full.

A hug from my grandson the day his high school team won the State Championship

LIFE LESSONS 11- 20

1. Calming down is easier said than done, not just for you.
2. Do not try to convince people to your way of thinking.
3. Let other people have their way too, compromise.
4. Go to church.
5. Teach your children to do yard work.
6. No matter the circumstances or how bad things may seem, it will indeed get better.
7. Never interrupt a person while sharing a story. No matter who that person is or if you believe they are telling it wrong, it’s their story.
8. There is more than one way to accomplish a task. Let other folks do it their way.
9. Set big goals for yourself and then set smaller goals to help you achieve the big goals.
10. Life is not always fair.

My high school girlfriends and me 40 years after graduation. 

LIFE LESSONS 21-30

1. Cancer sucks.
2. Foul language serves no purpose except to make the user look bad.
3. Marriages are worth saving. Make an extra effort.
4. Encourage others.
5. Find a place to give back by volunteering.
6. Volunteerism is it’s own reward.
7. Teach your children to do laundry.
8. Work on being a better listener.
9. This too shall pass (TTSP)
10. Don’t be a sore loser. No one likes a sore loser.

You will never get over losing loved one’s who die but you will, in time, learn to live your life without them in it.

LIFE LESSONS 31-40

1. Be happy for other people.
2. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
3. Technology doesn’t provide close human companionship, people do. Turn off the device and talk to someone special.
4. Diets can begin any day of the week.
5. Just because you Can do a thing, doesn’t mean you Should do that thing.
6. Commitment requires sacrifice.
7. Decisions net consequences.
8. Make new friends and keep the old.
9. Wash white clothes separate.
10. You will not be remembered for whether or not you made your bed but make it anyway.

My parents with me at very young ages in Charlotte N.C.

LIFE LESSONS 41-50

1. All people experience grief differently. Allow others to grieve.
2. Animals grieve too.
3. Listen to the stories your parents and grandparents enjoy sharing. There are life lessons in those stories.
4. Pull your pants up. No one cares to see your underwear.
5. Once you complete any project or task, ask yourself what you can do to make it even better.
6. Do not compare yourself to others. Just Be Yourself.
7. Ask questions.
8. Make your own informed decisions. Do not rely on social media or news media for answers. That is where false information comes from.
9. Do not spread false information. If you do not know it to be an honest fact then don’t even talk about it.
10. Negotiate. The worst thing that can happen is they say no. It’s definitely worth the effort to negotiate.

LIFE LESSONS 51-60

1. Do not share photos of other people’s tragedies on social media.
2. Your cause is a good cause, it’s just not my cause and that’s ok.
3. Volunteer somewhere at some point in your life. Don’t procrastinate that, just do it. Fit it in. You’ll know why after you do it.
4. Do not text and drive.
5. There has never been a person born whose purpose in life is to wait on you hand and foot. 
6. Do not say or do things intentionally which you know will hurt another person.
7. Clean up behind yourself.
8. Be respectful of elderly.
9. Learn manners.
10. Use those manners that you have learned.

Why stop at 60? What life lessons will you share?

Print all 60 Things I Learned In 59 Years. It’s free. 

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UPDATE!!

1/23/2020

We  have welcomed a new decade and it has been about 2 years since I originally published this fun list of my life lessons. It is time to add a couple more that I have learned in the last couple of years.

1. Keep your political opinion to yourself and for the sake of everyone, please do not publish your political opinion on social media.
2. Life it NOT JUDGED by the number of ‘likes’, ‘hearts’ or ‘thumbs up’ you get on social media.
3. If what you are doing is not working, stop doing it and do something different.
4. Priorities are Still God, Country and Family. 

GO Here to read 40 THINGS I LEARNED IN 40 YEARS written by my husband in 2014.

How old is old? A college psychology professor asked this question in class one day. The answers were as varied as the colors of a rainbow. The answer really depends upon how old you are.