Good Luck!
Life’s Little Instruction Book
#1 Compliment three people every day
#2 Have a dog
#3 Watch a sunrise at least once a year
#4 Remember other peoples birthdays
#5 Over tip breakfast waitresses
#6 Have a firm handshake
#7 Look people in the eye
#8 Say “thank you” a lot
#9 Say “Please” a lot
#10 Learn to play a musical instrument
#11 Sing in the shower
#12 Use the good silver
#13 Learn to make great chili
#14 Plant flowers every spring
#15 Own a great stereo system
#16 Be the first to say hello
#17Live beneath your means
#18 Buy great books, even if you never read them
#19 Drive inexpensive cars, but own the best house you can afford
#20 Be forgiving of yourself and others
#21 Learn three clean jokes
#22 Wear polished shoes
#23 Floss youre teeth
#24 Drink champagne for no reason at all
#25 Ask for a raise when you feel you have earned it
#26 Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yard
#27If in a fight, hit first and hit hard
#28 Return all the things you borrow
#29 Teach some kind of class
#30 Be a student in some kind of class
#31 Never buy a house without fireplace
#32 Once in youre life own a convertible
#33Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated
#34 Learn to identify the music of Chopiun, Mozart, and Beethoven
#35 Plant a tree on your birthday.
#36 Donate two pints of blood every year.
#37 Make new friends but cherish the old ones.
#38 Keep secrets.
#39 Take lots of snapshots.
#40 Never refuse homemade brownies.
#41 Don’t postpone joy.
#42 Ask someone to pick up your mail and daily paper when you’re out of town. Those are the first two things potential burglars look for.
#43 Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen every day.
#44 Write “thank you” notes promptly.
#45 Show respect for teachers.
#46 Show respect for police officers and firefighters.
#47 Show respect for military personnel.
#48 Don’t waste time learning the “tricks of the trade.” Instead, learn the trade.
#49 Keep a tight rein on your temper.
#50 Buy vegetables from truck farmers who advertise with hand-lettered signs.
#51 Put the cap back on the toothpaste.
#52 Take out the garbage without being told.
#53 Avoid overexposure to the sun.
#54 Vote.
#55 Surprise loved ones with little unexpected gifts.
#56 Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every are of your life.
#57 Never mention being on a diet.
#58 Make the best of bad situations.
#59 Learn to make something beautiful with your hands.
#60 Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you.
#61 Support a high school band.
#62 Admit your mistakes.
#63 Use your wit to amuse to abuse.
#64 Remember that all news is biased.
#65 Take a photography course.
#66 Let people pull in front of you when you’re stopped in traffic.
#67 Always accept an outstretched hand.
#68 Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference
#69 Demand excellence and be willing to pay for it.
#70 Whistle.
#71 Hug children after you discipline them.
#72 Give to charity all the clothes you haven’t worn during the past three years.
#73 Never forget your anniversary.
#74Eat prunes.
- Ride a bike.
- Choose a charity in your community and support it generously with your time and money.
- Slow dance.
- Steer clear of restaurants with strolling musicians.
- Don’t take good health for granted.
- When someone wants to hire you, even if its for a job you have little interest in, talk to them. Never close the door of opportunity until you’ve had a chance to hear the offer in person.
- Don’t mess with drugs, and don’t associate with those who do.
- Avoid sarcastic remarks.
- In business and in family relationships. remember that the most important thing is trust.
- Forget the Joneses.
- Never encourage anyone to become a lawyer.
- Don’t smoke.
- Even if you’re financially well-to-do, have your children earn and pay part of their college tuition.
- Even if you’re financially well-to-do, have your children earn and pay for all their automobile insurance.
- Recycle old newspapers, bottles, and cans.
- Refill ice cube trays.
- Never invest more in the stock market than you can afford to lose.
- Choose your life’s mate carefully. From this one decision will come ninety percent of all your happiness or misery.
- Make it a habit to do nice things for people who’ll never find out.
- Lend only those books you never care to see again.
- Don’t let anyone ever see you tipsy.
- Attend class reunions.
- Always have something beautiful in sight, even if it’s just a daisy in a jelly glass.
- Know how to type.
- Read the Bill of Rights.
- Learn how to read a financial report.
- Tell your kids often how terrific they are and that you trust them.
- Take a brisk thirty-minute walk every day.
#103 Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.
#104 Use credit cards only for convenience, never for credit.
#105 Treat yourself to a massage on your birthday.
#106 Never cheat.
#107 Smile a lot. It costs nothing and is beyond price.
#108 Know how to drive a stick shift.
#109 Spread crunchy peanut butter on pepperidge farm gingerman cookies for the perfect late-night snack.
#110 Never use profanity.
#111 When dining with clients or business associates, never order more than one cocktail or one glass of wine. If no one else is drinking, don’t drink at all.
#112 Never argue with police officers, and address them as “officer”.
#113 Learn to identify local wildflowers, birds, and trees.
#114 Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen and car.
#115 Give yourself a year and read the Bible cover to cover.
#116 Consider writing a living will.
#117 Install dead bolt locks on outside doors.
#118 Don’t buy expensive wine, luggage, or watches.
#119 Put a lot of little marshmallows in your hot chocolate.
#120 Learn CPR.
#121 Resist the temptation to buy a boat.
#122 Stop and read historical roadside markers.
#123 Respect your children’s privacy. Knock before entering their room.
#124 Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
#125 Know how to change a tire.
#126 Know how to tie a bow tie.
#127 Wear audacious underwear under the most solemn business attire.
#128 Remember people’s names.
#129 Introduce yourself to the manager where you bank. It’s important that he or she knows you personally.
#130 Learn the capitals of the states.
#131 Visit Washington, D.C., and do the tourist bit.
#132 Leave the toilet seat in the down position.
#133 When someone is relating an important event that’s happened to them, don’t try to top them with a story of your own. Let them have the stage.
#134 Have crooked teeth straightened.
#135 Have dull-colored teeth whitened.
#136 Keep your watch five minutes fast.
#137 Learn Spanish. In a few years, more than thirty-five percent of all Americans will speak it as their first language.
138 Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.
139 When starting out, don’t worry about not having enough money. Limited funds are a blessing, not a curse. Nothing encourages creative thinking in quite the same way.
140 Give yourself an hour to cool off before responding to someone who has provoked you. If it involves something really important, give yourself overnight.
141 Keep a flashlight and extra batteries under the bed and in the glove box of your car.
142 Don’t buy cheap tools. Craftsman tools from sears are among the best.
143 Pay your bills on time.
144 Join a slow-pitch softball league.
145 Take someone bowling.
146 When playing games with children, let them win.
147 Turn off the television at dinner time.
148 Learn to handle a pistol and rifle safely.
149 Skip one meal a week and give what you would have spent to a street person.
150 Sing in a choir.
151 Get acquainted with a good lawyer, accountant, and plumber.
152 Fly Old glory on the Fourth of July.
153 Stand at attention and put your hand over your heart when singing the national anthem.
154 Resist the temptation to put a cute message on your answering machine.
155 Have a will and tell your next-of-kin where it is.
156 Strive for excellence, not perfection.
157 Take time to smell the roses.
158 Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
159 Be tough minded but tenderhearted.
160 Use seat belts.
161 Have regular medical and dental checkups.
162 Keep your desk and work area neat.
163 Take an overnight train trip and sleep in a Pullman.
164 Be punctual and insist on it in others.
165 Don’t scrimp in order to leave money to your children.
166 Don’t waste time responding to your critics.
167 Avoid negative people.
168 Resist telling people how something should be done. Instead, tell them what needs to be done. They will often surprise you with creative solutions.
169 Be original.
170 Be neat.
171 Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.
#172 Be kinder than necessary.
#173 Be suspicious of all politicians.
#174 Encourage your children to have a part-time job after the age of sixteen.
#175 Give people a second chance, but not a third.
#176 Read carefully anything that requires your signature. Remember the big print giveth and the small print taketh away.
#177 Learn to recognize the inconsequential; then ignore it.
#178 Do battle against prejudice and discrimination wherever you find it.
#179 Never take action when you’re angry.
#180 Be your wife’s best friend.
#181 Be romantic.
#182 Let people know what you stand for — and what you won’t stand for.
#183 Don’t quit a job until you’ve lined up another.
#184 Never criticize the person who signs your paycheck. If you are unhappy with you job, resign.
#185 Wear out, don’t rust out.
#186 Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
#187 Be insatiably curious. Ask “why” a lot.
#188 Measure people by the size of their hearts, not the size of their bank accounts.
#189 Have good posture. Enter a room with purpose and confidence.
#190 Don’t worry that you can’t give your kids the best of everything. Give them your very best.
#191 Drink low fat milk.
#192 Use less salt.
#193 Eat less red meat.
#194 Learn how to fix a leaky faucet and toilet.
#195 Determine the quality of a neighborhood by the manners of the people living there.
#196 Surprise a new neighbor with one of your favorite homemade dishes — and include the recipe.
#197 Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
#198 Feed a stranger’s expired parking meter.
#199 Park at the back of the lot at shopping centers. The walk is good exercise.
#200 Don’t watch violent television shows, and don’t buy the products that sponsor them.
#201 Don’t carry a grudge.
#203 Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full.
#204 Choose work that his in harmony with your values.
#205 Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.
#206 Swing for the fence.
#207 Commit yourself to constant self-improvement.
#208 Give your best to your employer. It’s one of the best investments you can make.
#209 Attend high school art shows, and always buy something.
#210 Observe the speed limit.
#211 Take your dog to obedience school. You’ll both learn a lot.
#212 Don’t waste time grieving over past mistakes. Learn from them and move on.
#213 When complimented, a sincere “thank you” is the only response required.
#214 Don’t plan a long evening on a blind date. A lunch date is perfect. If things don’t work out,
both of you have wasted only an hour.
#215 Don’t discuss business in elevators. You never know who may overhear you.
#216 Be a good loser.
#217 Be a good winner.
#218 Never go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. You’ll buy too much.
#219 Spend less time worrying who’s right, and more time deciding what’s right.
#220 Don’t major in minor things.
#221 Don’t allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It’s there for your convenience, not the caller’s.
#222 Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret.
#223 Praise in public.
#224 Criticize in private.
#225 When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.
#226 Resist giving advice concerning matrimony, finances, or hair styles.
#227 Never tell anyone they look tired or depressed.
#228 Have impeccable manners.
#229 Never pay for work before it’s completed.
#230 Keep good company.
#231 Keep a daily journal.
#232 Keep your promises.
#233 Avoid any church that has cushions on the pews and is considering building a gymnasium.
#234 Teach your children the value of money and the importance of saving.
#235 Be willing to lose a battle in order to win the war.
#236 Don’t be deceived by first impressions.
#237 Seek out the good in people.
#238 Don’t encourage rude or inattentive service by tipping the standard amount.
#239 Watch the movie It’s A Wonderful Life every Christmas.
#240 Drink eight glasses of water every day.
#241 Respect tradition.
#242 Never cut what can be untied.
#243 Be cautious about lending money to friends. You might lose both.
#244 Never waste an opportunity to tell good employees how much they mean to the company.
#245 Buy a bird feeder and hang it so that you can see it from your kitchen window.
#246 Wave at children on school buses.
#247 Show respect for others’ time. Call whenever you’re going to be more than ten minutes late for an appointment.
#248 Tape record your parents’ memories of how they met and their first years of marriage.
#249 Hire people smarter than you.
#250 Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.
#251 Take good care of those you love.
#252 Keep it simple.
#253 Purchase gas from the neighborhood gas station even if it costs more. Next winter when it’s six degrees and your car won’t start, you’ll be glad they know you.
#254 Learn to show enthusiasm, even when you don’t feel like it.
#255 Learn to show cheerfulness, even when you don’t feel like it.
#256 Don’t jaywalk.
#257 Never ask a lawyer or accountant for business advice. They are trained to find problems, not solutions.
#258 Avoid like the plague any lawsuit.
#259 Take family vacations whether you can afford them or not. The memories will be priceless.
#260 Every day show your family how much you love them with your words, with your touch, and with your thoughtfulness.
#261 Don’t gossip.
#262 Don’t discuss salaries.
#263 Don’t nag.
#264 Don’t gamble.
#265 Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.
#266 Lie on your back and look at the stars.
#267 Don’t leave car keys in the ignition.
#268 When meeting someone for the first time, resist asking what they do for a living. Enjoy their company without attaching any labels.
#269 Don’t Whine.
#270 Arrive at work early and stay beyond quitting time.
#271 When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail. If you’re going after Moby Dick, take along the tarter sauce.
#272 Change air conditioner filters every three months
#273 Leave everything a little better than you found it.
#274 Remember that overnight success usually takes about fifteen years.
#275 Cut out complimentary newspaper articles about people you know and mail the articles to them with notes of congratulations.
#276 Patronize local merchants even if it costs a bit more.
#277 Fill your gas take when it falls below one-quarter full.
#278 Never snap your fingers to get someones attention. It’s rude.
#279 Don’t except money to bring you happiness.
#280 No matter how dire the situation, keep your cool.
#281 When paying cash, ask for a discount.
#282 Find a good tailor.
#283 Don’t use a toothpick in public.
#284 Never underestimate your power to change yourself.
#285 Never overestimate your power to change others.
#286 Practice empathy. Try to see things from other people’s point of view.
#287 Promise big. Deliver big.
#288 Discipline yourself to save money. It’s essential to success.
#289 Find some other way of proving your manhood than by shooting defenseless animals and birds.
#290 Remember the deal’s not done until the check has cleared the bank.
#291 Don’t burn bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.
#292 Don’t spread yourself too thin. Learn to say no politely and quickly.
#293 Keep overhead low.
#294 Keep expectations high.
#295 Remember that a successful marriage depends on two things. 1) finding the right person and 2) being the right person.
#296 See problems as opportunities for growth and self-mastery.
#297 Don’t believe people when they ask you to be honest with them.
#298 Get and stay in shape.
#299 Accept pain and disappointment as part of life.
#300 Don’t except life to be fair.
#301 Become an expert in time management.
#302 Lock your car even if it’s parked in your own driveway.
#303 Never go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink.
#304 Learn to handle a handsaw and a hammer.
#305 Compliment the meal when you’re a guest in someones home.
#306 Judge your success by the degree that you’re enjoying the peace, health, and love.
#307- take a nap on Sunday afternoons.
#308- make the bed when you’re an overnight visitor in some one’s home.
#309- contribute five percent of your income to charity.
#310- don’t leave a ring in the bathroom.
#311- when tempted to criticize your parents, spouse, or children, bite your tongue.
#312- never underestimate the power of love.
#313- never underestimate the power of forgiveness
#314- don’t waste time playing cards.
#315- don’t bore people with your problems. when someone asks you how you feel- say, “terrific, never better.” when they ask, “hows business?” reply, excellent, and getting better every day.”
#316- learn to disagree without being disagreeable.
#317- be tactful. never alienate anyone on purpose.
#318- hear both sides before judging.
#319-be courteous to everyone.
#320- wave to crosswalk patrol mothers.
#321- refrain from envy. its the source of much happiness.
#322- don’t say you don’t have enough time. you have the exactly the same number of hours per day that were giving to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, mother Teresa, Leonardo DA Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.
#323.- when there’s no time for a full work-out, do push-ups.
#324- don’t delay acting on a good idea. chances are you someone else has just thought of it, too. success comes to the who acts first.
#325- be wary of people who tell you how honest they are.
#326- remember that winners do what losers don’t want to do.
#327- rekindle old friendship.
#328- when traveling, put a card in your wallet with your name, home phone, the phone number of a friend, or close relative, important medical information, plus the number of the hotel or motel where you”re staying.
#329- every so often push your luck.
#330- live life as an exclamation, not explanation.
#331- when you arrive at your job in the morning let the first thing you say brighten every ones day.
#332- seek opportunity, not security. a boat in a harbor is safe, but in the time its bottom will rot out.
#333- instead of using the words if only, try substituting the words next time.
#334- instead of using the word problem, try substituting the word opportuinity.
#335- reread your favorite book.
#336- live your life so that your epitaph could read, “no regrets.”
#337- install smoke detectors in your home.
#338- get your next pet from the animal shelter.
#339- don’t think a higher price always means higher quality.
#340-don’t be fooled. if something sounds to good be true, it probably is.
#341- when renting a car for a couple days, splurge and get the big Lincoln.
#342- regarding furniture and clothes: if you think you’ll be using them five years or longer, buy the best you can afford.
#343 Never walk out on a quarrel with your wife.
#344 Patronize drug stores with soda fountains.
#345 Try everything offered by supermarket food demonstrators.
#346 Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.
#347 Remember the three most important things when buying a home: location,location, location
#348 Just for fun, attend a small town fourth of July celebration.
#349 Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
#350 Own a good dictionary.
#351 Own a good thesaurus.
#352 Keep valuable papers in a bank lockbox.
#353 Go through all your old photographs. Select ten and tape them to your kitchen cabinets. Change them every thirty days.
#354 Be there when people need you.
#355 Let your representatives in Washington know how you feel. Call (202)-225-3121 for the house and (202)- 224-3121 for the Senate. An operator will connect you to the right office.
#356 To explain a romantic break-up simply say, “It was all my fault.”
#357 Evaluate yourself by your own standards, not someone else’s.
#358 Be decisive even if it means you’ll sometimes be wrong.
#359 Don’t let anyone talk you out of pursuing what you know to be a great idea.
#360 Be prepared to lose once in awhile.
#361 Don’t flush urinals with your hand – use your elbow.
#362 Know when to keep silent.
#363 Know when to speak up.
#364 Every day look for some small way to improve your marriage.
#365 Every day look for some small way to improve the way you do your job.
#366 Acquire things the old-fashioned way: Save for them and pay with cash.
#367 Remember no one makes it alone. have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who help you.
#368 Never eat the last cookie.
#369 Read Leadership Is an Art by Max DePree (Dell, 1989)
#370 Do business with those who do business with you
#371 Just to see how it feels, for the next twenty-four hours refrain from critizing anybody or anything.
#372- Give your clients your enthusiastic best.
#373 Save an evening a week for just you and your wife.
#374 Take charge of your attitude. Dont let someone else choose it for you.
#377 Carry jumper cables in your car.
#407 When attending meetings, sit down front.
#408 Every once in a while, take the scenic route.
#409 Don’t let your possessions possess you.
#410 Wage war against littering.
#411 Cut your own firewood.
#412 When you and your wife have a disagreement, regardless of who’s wrong, apologize. Say “I’m sorry I upset you. Would you forgive me?” These are healing, magical words.
#413 Be enthusiastic about the success of others.
#414 Don’t flaunt your success, but don’t apologize for it either.
#415 After experiencing inferior services, food, or products, bring it to the attention of the person in charge. Good managers will appreciate knowing.
#416 Don’t procrastinate. Do what needs doing when it need to be done.
#417 Read to your children.
#418 Sing to your children.
#419 Listen to your children.
#420 Take care of your reputation. It’s your most valuable asset.
#421 Get your priorities straight. No one ever said on his death bed, “Gee, if I’d only spent more time at the office.”
#422 Turn on your headlights when it begins to rain.
#423 Don’t tailgate.
#424 Sign and carry your organ donor card.
#425 Don’t allow self-pity. The moment this emotion strikes, do something nice for someone less fortunate than you.
#426 Improve your performance by improving your attitude.
#427 Share the credit.
#428 Don’t accept “good enough” as good enough.
#429 Do more than is expected.
#430 Go to the county fair and check out the 4-H Club exhibits. It will renew your faith in the younger generation.
#431 Select a doctor your own age so that you can grow old together.
#432 Make a list of twenty-five things you want to experience before tou die. Carry it in your wallet and refer to it often.
#433 Use club soda as an emergency spot remover.
#434 Have a friend who owns a truck.
#435 At the movies, buy Junior Mints and sprinkle them on your popcorn.
#436 Have some knowledge of three religions other than your own.
#437 Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.
#438 Change your car’s oil and filter every three thousand miles regardless of what the owner’s manual recommends.
#439 Every person that you meet knows something you don’t; learn from them.
#440 Tape record your parents’ laughter.
#441 Never put a candy dish next to the phone.
#442 When meeting someone you don’t know well, extend your hand and give them your name. Never assume they remember you even if you’ve met them before.
#443 Do it right the first time.
#444 Laugh a lot. A good sense of humor cures all of life’s ills.
#476 Don’t expect others to listen to your advice and ignore your example.
#477 Go the distance. When you accept a task, finish it.
#478 Don’t insist on running someone else’s life.
#479 Decide to get up thirty minutes earlier. Do this for a year, and you will add seven and one-half days to your waking world.
#480 Get into the habit of putting your billfold and car keys in the same place when entering your home.
#481 Watch for big problems. They disguise big opportunities.
#482 Learn a card trick.
#483 Steer clear of restaurants that rotate.
#484 Give people the benefit of the doubt.
#485 Never admit at work that you’re tired, angry, or bored.
#486 Respond promptly to R.S.V.P. invitations. If there’s a phone number, call; if not, write a note.
#487 Take a kid to the zoo.
#488 Make someone’s day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you.
#489 Don’t make the same mistake twice.
#490 Don’t drive on slick tires.
#491 Keep an extra key hidden somewhere on your car in case you lock yourself out.
#492 Put an insulation blanket around your hot water heater to conserve energy.
#493 Save ten percent of what you earn.
#494 Never discuss money with people who have much more or much less than you.
#495 Never buy a beige car.
#496 Don’t be called out on strikes. Go down swinging.
#497 Never buy something you don’t need just because it’s on sale.
#498 Question your goals by asking, “Will this help me become my very best?”
#499 Cherish your children for what they are, not for what you’d like them to be.
#500 When negotiating your salary, think of what you want; then ask for ten percent more.
#501 Keep several irons in the fire.
#502 After you’ve worked hard to get what you want, take the time to enjoy it.
#503 Be alert for opportunities to show praise and appreciation.
#504 Commit yourself to quality.
#505 Be a leader: Remember the lead sled dog is the only one with a decent view.
#506 Never underestimate the power of words to heal and reconcile relationships.
#507 Your mind can only hold one thought at a time. Make it a positive and constructive one.
#508 Become someone’s hero.
#509 Marry only for love.
#510 Count your blessings.
#511 Call your mother.
