Stuff I Know To Be True

There are a few things that I have picked up over my 37 years.  None are earth-shattering or will change your life immediately.  They are simply truisms that people have said to me over the years.  Some of the comments came in the form of unsolicited advice, some in the form of a narrative from the speaker, some from books.  Here are some things I know to be true...at least for my life:

1.  Do not make predictions about the future of anything.  Life shuffles the cards on you constantly and you never know the next hand you will be dealt.
2.  A friend once told me that her mom was a good mom because, "she made being a kid fun."  I want my kids to say that about me.  Not that I was their friend, but that being a kid was fun.  It really is the only chance we get to have good, unadulterated (ha!) fun.
3.  Marrying the right person makes all the difference.
4.  There is no book or expert who knows better than you how to raise your children.  Do what is right for your family.  The author of that book does not know your kids.
5.  Teaching a child to be a good sleeper is the gift that keeps on giving.
6.  Listen.  What people really need is a good listening to.
7.  Be Here Now.
8.  A good babysitter is a gift you give yourself.  Use that birthday money to pay the babysitter so that you can leave the house.
9.  Your kids are listening.  Especially when you're on the phone.
10.  Comparing yourself to others is a waste of time.
11.  Anger is a wasted emotion.
12.  Exercise is essential.  Our bodies MUST move.
13.  Eat healthy food and you will feel better.  I promise.
14.  Don't talk negatively about others.  It is a waste of your time.
15.  The days are long, but the years are short.
16.  The older I get, the better I feel.
17.  Staying home is easier than going anywhere when you have 4 kids.
18.  Whether your kids are making a million dollars or their bed, let them know that you are proud of them.  That is your job.  Your are their most important person.
19.  Don't take yourself too seriously.
20.  Even if you stray a bit, you will come back to what you know.  What you know just makes more sense.

That is what I know.  Tell me your  principles to live by.  I need all the help I can get.