Many of us have heard of the now infamous “bucket list”.  This is a list of the top 100 things you would like to do before you die.  I think it’s a great idea.  But there’s a better and unique list that I believe everyone should develop. The list I’m referring to is an idea given to me by a friend of mine, Bob Youden, who developed his own list of rules/lessons he’s learned in his own life. He’s developed this list over his lifetime about simple principles that he has learned to live by.  It’s not rocket science but it’s a great snapshot of principles to live by. 

Everyone should develop a list that is personalized and reflects their own life. This list should be fun, educational. It can be based on common things and principles you already live by or from teachings you’ve acquired from school, books, friends, family, and your faith.  One way to develop this list is to think “What teaching points would I  want to have on my tombstone for the future generations to know about me or my philosophies”.  The points should be brief and maybe only you know the significance of what that title means and another person looking at it would/could ask you.  I’ll share with you a few that are on my list so you get the idea.  The list could include ideas from your spiritual, financial, health, relationship learnings or thoughts. You could include your favorite movie song etc.

1. Always error on the side of more; more food at a party, more compassion, more time to listen, more money when you go out etc.

2. When traveling on a long journey, where dark pants ketchup and coffee stains don’t show up as easily

3. Recite what you are grateful for every day, make it a habit

4. If your bus leaves at 9:00 am, don’t leave your home at 9:00 am

5. Find the help button and use it

6. Don’t yell, unless something heavy or sharp is about to fall on someone

7. Learn to confront with elegance

8. Don’t live without hope

9. Learn to be flexible

10. Always look for the other side of the story because there’s always another side of a story

11. Don’t embarrass anyone in public or private

12. Learn from people smarter than you and seek their guidance

13. Don’t just learn from your mistakes, learn from others

14. Learn to give freely and to receive freely

15. What goes around comes around; both good and bad-act accordingly

16. Pay yourself first.

17. Laughter is the shortest distance between people. Learn how to laugh.

18. Say something kind to another person daily.

19. Say something kind to yourself daily.

20. Nobody likes a mean person.

21. Deserve then desire

22. Life is too short to take seriously, but not long enough to ignore.

23. Watch your time, no one else will.

24. Find the gift.

25. The sooner you embrace change, the sooner it embraces you.

26. You play a significant role in your life, so pay attention.

27. Find the good

28. Always smile, even if you are not in the mood to do so

29. Learn to listen first.

30. Understand criticism

31. Practice what you need to learn

32. Create a vision board for your work, personal and spiritual life

33. If you fail to plan then you will inevitably are planning to fail

34. Others watch what you do and learn from you, especially your children

35. Actions always speak louder than words

36. Be yourself, if you are not a good self; learn to be someone else

37. Find your talents and never stop

38. Good times and sad times will always come and go, be joyfully patient

39. You can’t have a top without a bottom, you can’t have a front without a back

40. Commit to exercising

41. Watch how you eat

42. Everyone makes mistakes, not everyone learns from them

43. Never give up

44. Be trusting and cautious at the same time

45. Don’t cheat others, in the end, you are only cheating yourself

46. Be flexible

47. Learn what you enjoy and do it on a regular basis

48. Read

49. Grow a flower or plant

50. If you are uncomfortable then you are growing

51. There is no end, only beginnings

52. Laugh every day and find ways to do so

53. Learn to forgive

54. Have a backup plan

55. Remember your kids when they are young, there’s a greater chance they will remember you when you aren’t.

56. Leave a will not only monetarily but also what you’d want your children to have learned.

57. We can’t choose if bad things will happen to us, but we can choose how we deal with it.

58. Try to make friends eventually you will find true ones.

59. Be the friend you’d  want to have.

60. To do the right thing can be hard, to do the wrong thing can be easy, but to do the right thing is the right thing to do.

61. Remember the carpenter’s principle

62. Never go to bed angry.

63. Learn to overcome your weaknesses, the sooner you do the quicker you won’t have to try to learn that lesson again.

64. Dress in layers if you are not sure what the weather is like

65. Always keep enough gas in the car in case you need to drive to the hospital in an emergency

66. Drink plenty of water daily

67. Don’t overspend

68. Learn to be happy, the other option is very depressing

69. Celebrate birthdays, yours and others

70. See as many sunrises and sunsets as you possibly can

71. Don’t get bored; it causes stress

72. Goto church regularly

73. Be careful how you judge

74. Fear rules absolutely, but love lives forever

75.