Things I've Learned: 50 Things in 50 Years

I had planned on populating this list, item by item, after much thought and reflection, over the course of a few weeks.
Plans don't always work out, especially if you don't actually move forward on them until 15 minutes before your 50th birthday dawns.

So my hope of generating a deep and meaningful list for this momentous day are slim to none.

Never-the-less, the title is already in place, so I will, I WILL, come up with 50 items before I go to bed. (I have a feeling the last dozen or so may come straight out of Proverbs. Good stuff, Proverbs is.)

By the way, these are in no particular order.

1. Generally, people are all just people.
2. Don't underestimate the value of a good reputation.
3. Being punctual is worth the effort.
4. It's better to sing off key than not to sing at all.
5. Say sorry first.
6. Oil of Oregano is the foulest tasting substance on the planet. I don't care if it works.
7. If you say you're going to do something, DO IT.
8. You never forget your first love.
9. Or your first anything. So be deliberate about 'first' experiences.
10. Ask for help.
11. Your mom never stops loving you.
12. Merging doesn't mean the other driver won.
13. A bed can't have too many pillows.
14. It's impossible to have too many friends.
15. Frozen chocolate bars taste better.
16. If you want to be taken seriously, drop effing from your vocabulary.
17. Anyone who judges you by the car you drive or the shoes you wear isn't worth knowing.
18. Problems, when they arise, are rarely as painful as the experience of fearing them.
19. Nothing motivates you to live a worthy life like attending a funeral.
20. Praying is not a waste of time.
21. God is real. And He loves.
22. A person can recover from a broken heart.
23. There will always be someone smarter, thinner, richer and better looking than you. Deal with it.
24. Fight to resolve a conflict, don't fight to win.
25. Don't assume.
26. God was right. Only have sex with the person you are married to. You will have no regrets.
27. Excellence comes from practice.
28. Keep an up-to-date contact list so you're not scrambling for someone's number in an emergency.
29. Listen more than talk.
30. Strive to be an encourager. The world needs more encouraging people.
31. Shake it up once in awhile. Read a different genre of book, watch a documentary, listen to new music.
32. Support young/new writers, authors, musicians, artists.
33. Be a mentor. Be mentored.
34. You can't make someone love you. But you can be lovable.
35. Learn the art of hospitality. Learn the art of conversation. Be gracious.
36. Take some time to figure out what you believe.
37. Women really should shave their legs and pits.
38. If nothing else, wear a moisturizer on your face everyday.
39. Smile more often than you think necessary.
40. Don't be sarcastic. It's cheap.
41. Call your mom. She loves talking to you.
42. Finish what you start. Seriously.
43. Support a Compassion child. Or two. Or three. Come on...  people are starving in other parts of the world. Be part of the solution.
44. Donate to worthy causes. Be an advocate for the less fortunate. Support a ministry. Give.
45. People deserve second chances.
46. Say no to drugs. Just don't. I mean it.
47. Cheap underwear is cheap.
48. Don't talk about your aches and pains with anyone other than your doctor.
49. Being a Christian doesn't automatically make you boring or a nerd.
50. Learn to enjoy your own company.

Shalom,