This is a series of thoughts I have kept in a notebook for several years.  Some are original, others are quotes, but all are guidelines to finding wellness, happiness and peace in our lives. They are listed in no specific order. This is what I want my kids to remember throughout their lives in order to try become happy, balanced and caring human beings. Not an easy task, but well worth trying like I do everyday.  Of course, I will be adding many more as time goes by, but for now, this is my collection of words to live by…

Aleida Arbona

Words to live by…

“Recipe for life: Drink moderately, eat healthy, exercise often, play fair, cultivate your intellect, foster friendships, love passionately, make time for your children, honor your family, respect the environment, help the needy, reward hard work, use your talents, make time to play, travel with an open heart and promote spiritual growth.” Aleida Arbona

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
~ Mark Twain

Don’t do anything that you would be embarrassed to tell your children, parents and/or partner.

Be strong when you are weak, brave when you are scared and humble when you are victorious.

Good things come to those who wait.

Appreciate the differences.

Say please, thank you, I’m sorry, I love you.

Love what you have even though you don’t have what you want.

Make the children in your life feel special, important and loved.

Do what you have to, not what you want to.

Love is not all you need, but you need love to overcome hardship in relationships.

Be a positive thinker.

As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.- Seneca

Have compassion towards the needy.

Have empathy towards the people that are suffering.

Be fair.

Be good.

Don’t lend/borrow money to/from friends.

Save money.

Have few credit cards.

You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.-  Maya Angelou

Make new friends but keeping the old. One is silver and the other’s gold.

When you get married, remember you don’t become “one”, instead two individuals living your life together.

El matrimonio es para valientes, no para cobardes.  AA

Eres dueño de lo que callas y esclavo de lo que dices.

¡Viajar es vivir!

Don’t let fear of the unknown leave you with “what if” the rest of your life. Try new things.

Pick your battles to win the war.

Spend time enjoying what you have instead of missing what you don’t.

Don’t be happy about other people’s misfortune.

Don’t be too impressed with appearances. Not everything that shines is gold.

Succeed by your own means and virtues not by putting down others.

Make time to be alone with your spouse. Its important to talk, listen and comfort each other as often as possible to keep the fire going.

Live well, Laugh often, Love much

Be a reliable and trustworthy person.

It’s not what you say, but how you say it.

Work hard. Be professional. Take pride in what you do.

Don’t be afraid to talk about your feelings with your family and children.

Dance like nobody is watching.

Treat everyone and everything with respect.

Leave everything a little better than you found it.

Listen to others.

Look at people in the eye when you engage in conversation.

Have a firm handshake.

Don’t expect others to give or act as you would in life situations.

Stand up straight.

Always think about the common good. Be considerate of others.

Respect the elderly.

Follow instructions.

Class has nothing to do with money.

If you borrow something, take care of it as if it was yours and return it immediately.

This is a tip for young couples starting out:  Ideally, if you have two incomes, adjust your lifestyle to one of them and use the other for savings, hobbies and trips. That way if one of you looses your job or wants to stop working, the basic necessities will be met and there will be less stress in the relationship and family.

Have a spiritual life.

Be positive.

Don’t use drugs.

Teach your children with example.

Make time to visit the elderly in your family with your kids.

Learn to say no.

Get involved in volunteering.

Take care of your body.

Eat smart.

Drink plenty of water.

Read.

Make time for yourself.

Enjoy each stage of your life and make the best out of it.

Cultivate friendships.

Don’t be judgemental.

Forgive and forget.

Few things can shake the grounds of a relationship like the birth of a new child, economic woes and/or health problems or death in the family. Renegotiate the relationships in your life every few years. That way every one knows what to expect from you in every stage of your life.

Don’t stop learning new things.

Be true to your values but tolerant toward others.

Treat others the same way you would like to be treated.

Travel.

Travel with your children.  The world is the greatest classroom.

Never do things that will lead other people not to trust you.

Celebrate life.

Perform random acts of kindness.

Pay it forward.

Smile to strangers.

Try new flavors.

Follow your passion.

Strive to find balance in your life.

Have a hobby.

Learn a sport.

Write thank you notes.  Be thankful and show it!

Take time to enjoy nature.

Adapt to a changing environment.

Don’t be afraid of change.

Learn other languages.

Don’t get married too young.  Study, travel and live a little before you do.

Enjoy your own company. (solitude)

Don’t leave for tomorrow what can be done today.

Multitask.

Promote a healthy, respectful and loving relationship with your immediate family. Don’t take them for granted.

Don’t show all of your weaknesses.

Learn from your mistakes.

Demand respect for all living things.

Listen to the advice of others, then make your own conclusions.

It is during hard times that people show their true colors.  Also, how many true friends you have.

Use common sense.

Follow your instincts. (sixth sense)

Take calculated risks.

You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends.

Life takes us to several crossroads throughout our lifetime. Learn from past experiences, ask for advice from people you love, respect and trust and set new goals to decide which road to choose next.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

The best remedy for diaper rash is cornstarch (cold from the fridge).

Everything in life is cyclical and has its ups and downs.  Hang in there!

“Nadie te quita lo bailado.”

Give back twice as you get

Hombre no es el que enamora muchas mujeres, si no  el que enamora muchas veces la misma mujer.

Doesn’t matter which religion you choose to follow as long as you strive to be good to yourself and others.

Worry about your character and not your reputation, because your character is who you really are, and your reputation is only what people think of you

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value”  Albert Einstein

Take care of your skin. In your teens and twenties: sun block, moisturizer, facials. In your thirties and forties:  all of the above plus microdermabrasion and vitamin c cream at night.  If you do this and eat well and hydrate, you will increase your probability of having beautiful looking skin in your fifties and sixties.

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”  Maya Angelou

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, nor winning one more verdict or closing one more deal.  You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child or a parent. –  Barbara Bush

There are two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is a as though everything is a miracle. –  Albert Einstein

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication- Leonardo Davinci

The world is a dangerous place not because of those who are evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing-  Albert Einstein

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me lay an invincible summer- Albert Camus

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand. -Albert Einstein

We cannot choose where we are born or where we die, but we can choose how we live.

Enjoy life!