Here we are, back again, and refreshed and renewed, and needy. The 40 Tips for Better Life

I started this about eight years ago, and I'm back at it again because I'm using this as a ministry post on my charity FB page: Caring 4 Cancer Inc.:

Here we are, back again, and refreshed and renewed, and needy. The 40 Tips for Better Life

40 Tips for Better Life - 2016
1. Make time every day to pray and meditate. They provide us with daily fuel and meaning for a busy life.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep .
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy .
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2015.
7. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy sappers, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn . Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16 . Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more. It will recharge your batteries.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. GOD heals almost everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33 . The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel , get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36 . Call your family often. (Or email the devil out of em.)
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed .
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Put on paper all the things you want to do before you die, and start planning for them. It is later than you think.

May your troubles be less,
May your blessings be more,
May nothing but happiness
Come through your door.

Tip #27

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

Ok. Now let's think about this one.

That's just a different approach on the same thing people are always saying, "Why worry about what people think of you?" "Don't let it bother you what other people think of you." "If they're saying that about me, they're leaving someone else alone." "They have no idea what I'm really like." "Why should I care what 'they' think?"

And best of all: What makes you think you're so important that they're saying things about you?

So, this is just a different approach of saying the same thing: Don't let yourself feel inferior to what someone else is saying/thinking about you. It's none of your business.

So, when does "it's none of your business" matter to anyone?

I dunno, this is kind of a crazy tip, but in all honesty, there's only one that matters. So, it's none of their business, it's none of your business, it's ALL God's business. He's the one to fear, the only one.

Need I say more?

So with God.

Day 26 A very personal story.

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

I was at a very beautiful church in the foothills of Colorado. The wall behind the Pastor was all glass windows and the mountain scenery was God's painting. The teaching was on forgiveness and we were following the suggestions:

Think of the person in your life who you most cannot forgive.

Close your eyes and set the scene for inviting that person to dinner.

Throughout dinner conversation you forgive that person.

Well, there was more detail to this, but that's the general idea. Just take a moment now and try this.

If you're like me, I carried a huge burden. With eyes closed and following the instructions as the teacher laid out (I'm a visual person so this was right up my alley - yes, it was ALL God, you see.) and I saw myself:

Dinner is nearly ready, the table is set with nice white linen cloth, a vase of flowers from my yard decorates the center of the table. I'm wiping my hands on my apron, a cherished gift from my mom's collection, and the doorbell rings out a happy tune, but I'm nervous and scared.

I take a deep breath and open the door. I face the person needing my forgiveness and I see the face of Jesus. I open the door wide and invite him in to sit at my dinner table.

During the meal I'm trying to approach forgiveness but I have to face the past, the hurt, the horror, the nightmare, the loss. I have to look beyond the face of Jesus and see the face of my torment, my hatred. I have to look into his face and forgive him. I have to look at him sitting there across from me in my home, and I have to not be afraid. I have to look into his eyes and say the words. I look at him, I take a deep breath, and with all my heart, with all sincerity, and with a humble voice I say:

"I forgive you for killing my son, not because you deserve it but because Jesus deserves it. Jesus deserves for me to forgive you."

With that a weight leaves my shoulders. I'm at peace. I know Jesus loves me and for Jesus I can forgive this man who murdered my son. I no longer hate. I no longer fear. I have forgiven. And I have moved on. You see, my son accepted Jesus just days before he was murdered. I know Jesus was with my son, arms across his shoulders, as I sincerely forgave this man.

And now I know that if I can forgive my son's murderer, there is no transgression facing me that I cannot forgive.

With that, I pray that you, too, will take the time to talk to Jesus and forgive, not because they deserve it but because God deserves it.

I love you, Chester Daniel Shetler.

Day 25 and I'm back after two years!

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

What a good time to come back. This was something I was trying to quote the other day, so not so odd that it would appear just at this moment in my life.

I'm part of a team of school bus drivers who are learning and teaching Positive Behavior Intervention and Solutions (PBIS) in synch with many of the Norman Public Schools. The bus drivers and monitors (and staff of NPS Transportation) have been in this program since the beginning of last school year. We use the acronym B.U.S.:

Be responsible.

Use safety.

Show respect.

So, with the beginning of a new school year next week, we had orientation this past week. The BUS team had the last half hour of training. What I had prepared for presentation was what I labelled: Pick Your Battle. I had planned to list a few violations to the published "Expectations" and have the audience choose which were MINOR and which were MAJOR. The point was that several "violations" fell into both categories, depending on the severity of the violation.

For example, we have a continuing battle over cell phones. The biggest issue I see with cell phones is the ringtones.

Minor: ringtone of subliminal music at a Level 2 (can be heard only by the people immediately to the left or right on the same seat).

Major: ringtone of an emergency siren at Level 4 (outside voice, yelling).

And to emphasize the point of picking your battle I was trying to remember this exact tip: 'In five years, will this matter?'

Well, that's how it applied to my life recently, but here's another outlook:

Any so-called crisis in your life: Stop! Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. If that doesn't calm you down to God-like peace then do it again.

And then ask yourself: 'In five years, will this matter?'

Okay? Okay.

Now I hope you do better than I did at trying to remember this. But then again, it's been two years since I last read it!

No excuse. The idea was still there. And now I have to commit myself to doing this in my life.

And be real. Where will you be in five years? Okay, will it matter?

Philippians 2:14: Do everything without grumbling or arguing.

and then later on...

Well, sorry for the delay, I've been in a serious transition mode.... and I'm back.

Here, first of all check this out {click here} and no, I'm not gonna tell you what it is, you have to see for yourself. And I'm sure you'll thank me for it, too.

God with God and enjoy the month!!

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

What makes you happy? Make a list, mental or written, and refer to that often.
It helps you accomplish so many of these tips.
When I'm having my "pity party" I force myself to think on the things that make me happy, to think of all the blessings in my life right now.
Yup, sometimes I want to just hide in my own pity, and sometimes God lets me do just that. But I soon am able to move on and it's the deeply buried treasures of memories of happy times that brings me back to the reality of my own happiness. Or I focus on what's made me unhappy and compare it to what I have now. Either way, I can move on and move forward. I am in charge of my own happiness.

How about you?

Today I can play with my grandkids or I can lock the door and hide under the covers.
Today I can go to choir practice and sing praise to Jesus all afternoon or I can sit home alone and mope.
Today I can clean house and start packing for a move and sorting for a garage sale or I can wish I had the energy to do it.

Choices. What choices are you making for your happiness?

and number twenty-three

23. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

I love this. It happens all too often.
For example, an old friend of mine is on a hard journey. He thinks he's happy but he keeps dwelling on a past love. He says he is glad she is gone but he is continually checking her blog. He thinks she's writing about him and he write her emails protesting and telling her to "Move on. You just want to be friends with me and it's over!!" When in all reality, she's moved on, made new friends, and has a life completely different than when they were friends.
Trouble is that he's still trying to live his life with her still in it and has no idea where her journey has now taken her. So he shouldn't condemn her, he shouldn't even be comparing his life without her to his FORMER life with her.

Guess we all fall into that boat at one time or another.
Find the happy things in your life right now and focus on them. That's what I'm doing.