45 Life Lessons from a Person Who’s Lived a Long Life

These 45 life lessons were written by an American writer Regina Brett. At 41, she survived breast cancer and then she decided to celebrate her 45th anniversary by writing 45 lessons life had taught her. Next, by her 50th anniversary, she added 5 more lessons and published a book.

As a rule, it is difficult to find the real author of the text in the Internet, and one’s articles are distributed in a matter of hours. After a while, Regina found her own article online; it had been renamed by someone and posted as “45 Life Lessons Written by a “90-Year-Old” Woman”. This must have been done to add some value.

Whatever it was, these 45 lessons were written by the person who thought that her next day could be the last one. This meant that the article was carefully thought over and felt deeply.

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and relatives will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. Yield.
9. Save for retirement, starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles; use the nice sheets; wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
27. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
44. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.