If “Life’s Lessons” is not a book, it should be. For me, each birthday adds another year to my senior citizen collection. As I look forward to my next celebration in a few months, thoughts on life come into my mind. Here are a few of the “Life’s Lessons” I’ve received, not in any particular order.

Open my mind to the possibilities. I might not be right, and I don’t have to be. Children and young adults know much more than I think they know. Communication is complicated and personal. It has to be customized to situations and personalities. Nothing is as it seems to be. Many times, I need to shut up and listen. Learning is never ending. My empathy and companions speak a lot about me. Unconditional love is a great space. If I want to understand, I must step out of my shoes and into yours. Assume nothing. Helping others helps me. Listening is an art form and constant work. Love trumps just about everything. Humans are complicated. We are all connected. Pain is a great motivator. Someday is today. I can’t change anyone. Dragging people along never works. Growing, changing, and fixing my life is all about me. Trying to avoid problems always comes back to bite me. Acceptance is the key to peace of mind and serenity. Having passion drives my life. Blame never, ever works. No one can fix me but me. My happiness is my responsibility. Babies are the best. Seeing the good in everything is hard but worth it. Practice, practice, practice. Through practice, I can do almost anything. The way I think, adjust, and reframe my thinking is the key to letting go. Being positive it is a decision I can make. You can be rich and miserable. Gratitude helps my attitude. Life has many paths. Expect good things to happen. Logic is subjective, and in some cases hard to understand. Experience matters. We are all insecure at some level, and that’s okay. Low self-esteem hurts but is fixable for most. Impressing myself is much more important than impressing you. We all like to be recognized and loved. Life is difficult—dealing with it is a learning curve. I do not know what is good for anyone, I just might think I know. Slowing down works, though it seems counterproductive. It is so hard trying to be perfect. Hiding what is shameful is a mistake. Love is the answer. Life is one breath at a time, staying in the moment is difficult but rewarding. “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” is a great book to live by. Meditation helps me with perspective. Life is not the way I want it to be—it is just the way it unfolds. Accepting it is the key to life. Life is beautiful, so let’s do it again.

Naturally, there are so many more lessons, and I’m still learning.

In peace, love and laughter,