Submitted December 5th, 2001 by GirlWhoLaughs

>ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

>TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

>THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

>FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.

>FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

>SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

>SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

>EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

>NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.

>TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

>ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.

>TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

>THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

>FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

>FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

>SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

>SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

>EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

>NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

>TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

>TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

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Number 9, 12 and 18 are something I know so well it's like rewinding many different situations in my lifetime over and over again on little and huge mistakes I thought I had made. But when I really think about it, maybe in the long run they were just journeys I had to explore to learn and then move on (moving on could take learning in that process as well).

I know at times I get confused because it's almost like I am blessed for going through these different hardships. So much pressure the past few months has happened even since I was in the hospital... but even that was less hitting on the heart, more hitting on the brain and emotions of worry. I got through that storm faster than I thought though. 

Yet I can't help but notice that some of these moments the past few years are cherished at the same time. What I wonder is how do I cross them out of my life when they mean something in the long run? Whether it was learning, hurting, healing or just plain loving something so much you couldn't let go of it. I learned so much and now I feel am revived and very passive about so many situations now. I guess the real word would be content. What is it like to be that way? I found it and I plan to hold it for a very long time now. 

Disputes even mean something because I get to know more about a person too, ya know? Their actions (maturity on a situation or being immature), attitudes and even their true character.

What am I blabbering about? Well if you don't know me WELL enough you wouldn't know but if I did even tell you, I'd be telling you about 20 different situations, which many wont be shared... so let's forget what I am saying here.

What I'd prefer you did was just enjoy and think about these 21 different things so you can apply it to your life in the way I was able to. Take care peeps! :D

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