Listening Skills

10 things I Wish I Had Listened to When Someone Told Me

1.      You’r skirt is too short. I use to blame it on my long legs-that was a lie.  The attention young women get from wearing short skirts is not the attention you want-this, I now know.  

2.      You’re going to miss them when they’re gone.  My mother use to say this about my grandparents.  Of course, I love them, but going to North Dakota to visit them wasn’t my idea of a fun summer vacation at 13 years old.  While I loved visiting my grandparents, I always wondered why they didn’t live someplace cooler, like the beach or California- anywhere but North Dakota.  I would do just about anything now to visit them one more time- to help them pick carrots, to make milk shakes, anything to be around them just one more time.

3.      College will be the best 4 years of your life.  I was first told this one day at church- I don’t know how I can remember that-but I didn’t believe the guy.  All I could think about was getting recs for sorority rush and all the reading I’ll have to do for class.  He was right. They were the best four years of my life. Although, I know my most happy years are ahead of me!

4.      Throughout your life, you’ll have 4-6 good friends.  Why limit yourself to only 6 friends?  That’s crazy.  The more the merrier.  I’ve quickly learned that out of the +1,000 friends I have on facebook, I can count on one hand the people who I know will be in my life in 10 years.  Not saying the other 995 people aren’t friends- just not the ones you call up the second you find out you won the lottery! Its about quality, not quantity.

5.      Don’t go to the tanning bed.  I’ve heard this one liner about a million times.  Now I know…don’t go to the tanning bed. Ever.  Don't even lay out- get a spay tan if you care that much. You’ll thank me when you look 10 years younger than everyone else at your 20 year high school reunion.

6.      Chlorine fixes everything.  Mom use to throw me and my sister into the pool whenever we had a cold- rather than letting us stay home and sleep/watch Carson Daly on MTV’s TRL.  Not sure if it was the chlorine that made us feel better or if it was just getting up and moving- either way, she was right.

7.      Buy cell phone insurance.  This one is for my sweet husband who told me to buy it.  Of course, I refused.  Now I’m stuck with a beat up phone with a touch screen that doesn’t work.

8.      You’re enough.  People are mean.  People love train wrecks.  They will tell you that you’re not tall enough, skinny enough, tan enough….  Don’t listen to them.  They’re wrong.

9.      Don’t gossip.  As much as I love gossiping, it’s a waste of time.  Mind your own business- even if someone else business is more entertaining.

10.  Be Present.  Life is beautiful- but its short.  The most wonderful gift you could give someone is your time.  Be present- give whatever you’re working on 110% of your attention and your best effort- you never know the impression you can leave on someone until its too late.