This I Believe

This is my very first post. It includes the core beliefs that shape my thoughts and behaviors every day.

1. Your perception is your reality so always question how you look at the world around you.
2. Life is inherently unfair….get over it or it will get over you.
3. The power of the collective is exponentially more powerful than the sum of the power of its individuals.
4. I will be most proud if the people who depend on me are smarter and more successful than me.
5.  All people regardless of gender, skin color, sexual orientation, lifestyle, political affiliation, country of origin, religious belief or any other factor deserve the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times.
6. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you adjust.
7. You get out of life what you put into it.
8. Everyone is smart in their own way.
9. You should always hang out with people you strive to emulate.
10. Your life is an accumulation of your choices.
11. Education – formal or informal – is the key to success.
12. Learning is a life-long process.
13. You should laugh at yourself often – it will keep you humble.
14. You have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth for a reason – use them in the proper proportion.
15. All people are capable of change.
16. Contrary to popular opinion, people love change – just change on their own terms.
17. Time is our precious resource and should be managed with the utmost care.
18. How you use your time communicates more than your words ever will.
19. Family and friends are the most precious gift of all.
20. We should first seek to understand then to be understood.
21. We should treat others the way we would like to be treated.
22. We should take pity on those who hate and are mean and spiteful, for theirs is a miserable existence.
23. Actions speak louder than words.
24. It is OK to cry.
25. It takes the most strength to admit when you are weak.
26. Name calling is never productive or OK.
27. Honesty is the most sincere form of Love.
28. People treat you how you let them treat you.
29. We are all different for a reason.
30. Life is too short to hate.
31. No one is perfect or has all of the answers – not in the past, the present, or the future.
32. All relationships are a two-way street – give and take.
33. Anything worth having is worth working for.
34. Mental illness and addiction are diseases just like cancer and heart disease.
35. Everyone carries some kind of burden, so be kind to everyone you meet.
36. Dogs make the best and most loyal friends.