Words to Live By

by Linda Lee Gardner-Masters

Richard Bach asks: "If the child we were (Lin) asked us today for the best we've learned from living, what would we tell and what would we discover in return?"

Find joy in small things and joy will grow.
Expect little of others and a little less of yourself most of the time.
Beware of attachments to this life, material as well as emotional.
Reach beyond your fears to FAITH.
It is good to be good, even to being a fool.
The giver is really the receiver when it is unconditional love.
Unconditional loving is the only way to love and be loved.
Look with eyes to see others' perspectives; consider those perspectives before making a decision, your decision.
Try not to get caught in the web of judgment making. You can never know all the variables that were involved.
Pleasing others most of the time is good, but pleasing yourself some of the time is needed to balance.
Honesty is still the best policy. Truth will set you free. If you can't be truthful and honest with yourself, it will reflect outward in everything you do.
Decision making will always be difficult. Look at the choices, weigh all aspects and seek a balance. No extremes.
If you wrong another, humble yourself, apologize, seek forgiveness, but mostly forgive yourself.
Learn from others' states of being by intense observation. Become a better person from their example, mistakes and experiences.
Stay open to learning from anyone or anything, be it child, animal, nature or oneself.
Flexibility helps life flow a little easier.
Learn the positive lessons from every "bad" experience, activity or occurrence.
You have choices, always a choice to go positive or negative, right or wrong (from your perspective).
Beware the dark side of everyone and everything for it comes in many shades of shadows, many styles of masquerade. Don't dwell on the ego for it loves any and all attentions from anyone.
Remember to Thank the angels for their loving, helping hands through life.
All mind matrixes are different. What goes in, comes out according to their life experiences from a child on up; the role models, influences and input all contribute to the output.
Never underestimate the mind power over the body. Positive Love energies pull together for all good.

Linda's discovery in setting these life guidelines down on paper for Lin is from knowledge acquired over the last fifty years. It is also the much needed reminder to the "now" me that seems to be required. To forget is our enemy. Living these guidelines on a daily basis is the best example we can display to others, and how the quality of life will improve.

April 1996