“21 Mantra’s” Email
I just got this email from a school friend. Some are pretty cool, others, well, I’ve got an opinion.;-)
ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their
conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, “I love you,” mean it
FIVE. When you say, “I’m sorry,” look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
~~ We were engaged 3 1/2 months. Just enough time to bring together the simple wedding we loved and somehow get packed off to Norway. I don’t recommend this time length. In fact, 6 months is probably easier. I do recommend knowing the person a good while.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
~~I haven’t necessarily agreed but when I first met Tim, I knew I wanted to know him. (And I did like how he looked.) You might called this love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone’s dream. People who don’t have dreams don’t
have much.
NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way
to live life completely.
TEN… In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don’t judge people by their relatives.
~~ 
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
~~Some of the best people I now think more slowly, mull things over. If you think too quickly you may not process it all.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile
and ask, “Why do you want to know?”
~~Sometimes that just generally a good idea, and very useful with children.
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great
risk.
~~When Tim and I got back together in 2003, it was because we believed it was worth the risk.
FIFTEEN. Say “bless you” when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and
responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
~~In college I left one roommate for another and the previous relationship was a little strained. I apologized and our friendship was saved.
NINETEEN. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to
correct it.
~~Figuring out how and why you made the mistake are good too
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your
voice.
~~That’s easier when you have caller id
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.
~~Refreshing and getting to know yourself. This is important when you’re a mom. Just taking time out to shower (or take a hot bath) is good. Soaking in warm water is wonderful!
“SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
~~ We were engaged 3 1/2 months. Just enough time to bring together the simple wedding we loved and somehow get packed off to Norway. I don’t recommend this time length. In fact, 6 months is probably easier. I do recommend knowing the person a good while.”