Aug
31

The Life You Live Is The Legacy You Leave

47 Life Lessons – Business and Personal

Sunset from my back yard in Northern California

I celebrated my birthday this week and I thought I’d share with you 47 lessons I have learned in life. Some are business lessons and some are personal lessons. They all have impacted my life in a profound way:

1. What people say about you, says more about them than you.

2. When you learn to quiet your mind and manage your thoughts, you will then begin to know yourself.

3. Praise publicly. Hash out issues in private.

4. When leading or helping someone find their answers, it’s important to lead them back to themselves.

5. Never accuse. Always give people the benefit of the doubt.

6. You can’t grow if you are not willing to step out of your comfort zone.

7. Laughter is medicine.

8. Have an insatiable curiousness about the world.

9. People matter more than things.

10. Always set clear expectations and understand what is expected from all parties before signing on the dotted line.

11. Don’t invest in something you don’t understand.

12. If it comes in wrapping with a bunch of words that are hard to pronounce, it’s most likely not a healthy food choice.

13. Take responsibility for the choices you have made in your life.

14. Ignore your naysayers.

15. Surround yourself with people who support your vision, dreams, and goals.

16. Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

17. Change is constant.

18. Never make a hasty decision when it comes to business. Always read the fine print.

19. There are always two sides to every story.

20. Understand how your target audience thinks and how they make purchasing decisions.

21. Our thoughts determine the outcome of our lives.

22. Focus on people’s good qualities.

23. Be a problem solver, not a complainer.

24. Don’t blame, judge, or criticize.

25. Don’t let your ego get in the way of doing the right thing.

26. Relinquish the thoughts that no longer serve you.

27. Give without expecting anything in return.

28. You can’t control how others think and behave.

29. You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

30. Just because that’s how it has always been done, doesn’t mean that’s how it should continue to be done.

31. Be inclusive, not exclusive.

32. Ask not what others can do for you, but what you can do for them.

33. Set healthy boundaries in relationships.

34. Dance wildly. Sing out loud. Hug humans.

35. Lift others up and promote their work.

36. Stay Human.

37. Feel grass blades on your feet and the sun on your skin.

38. Take time to do NOTHING.

39. Step into your POWER.

40. Be present. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not arrived.

41. Look deeply into the eyes of your pet dog or cat and connect with them.

42. Be humble. Be grateful.

43. Plant. Grow an organic vegetable garden.

44. Ask the question: What are my intentions?

45. Hug a TREE and feel the energy of Mother Earth pulsate through your body.

46. Just because you don’t understand something does not mean you need to be afraid of it.  Ask questions.

47. Forgive yourself.

Feel free to add some of your favorite Life Lessons in the comments below!

About Brenda

Brenda Horton is the President of Hware, LLC., a software company that designs productivity tools and products for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and non-profits. She is nearing the launch of Actionplanr a goal-setting tool for high achieving female entrepreneurs.

  • http://topsy.com/www.hware.com/2010/08/the-life-you-live-is-the-legacy-you-leave/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention The Life You Live Is The Legacy You Leave. | Hware — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Brenda Tello Horton and Gena Livings, Chuck Horton. Chuck Horton said: The Life You Live Is The Legacy You Leave: It was my birthday this week and I thought I'd share with you 47 … http://bit.ly/aNViaH #hware [...]

  • http://catswebweave.com Catherine Scholz

    Wow, Brenda, thanks!

    You could start a great, wisdom-filled desktop calendar with all of those! :)

    You’ve almost got one for every week!

    Blessings,
    Catherine

  • http://www.hware.com Brenda

    Thanks Cat! That’s a great idea!

  • Lisa Schrader

    Love it Brenda. And Happy Birthday! I would add, “don’t blame, judge or criticize yourself if you find yourself blaming, judging or criticizing.” And I love hugging humans. Choose love. Thank you for living such a vibrant integrated life and sharing yourself so abundantly with the world. You are a blessings.

  • Lisa

    I forgot to say that the picture of the sunset at Luna Segrada is absolutely miraculous. Such beauty!

  • Susan Gouveia

    Very beautiful! Thanks for taking the time to share this with us. Glad you were born to help make the earth a better place!

  • http://www.hware.com Brenda Horton

    Thanks Lisa! Thank you for all your kind words and yes, we are oftentimes our own harshest critics. So important to be kind to ourselves, to love ourselves. I saw the movie, Eat Pray Love last weekend and that was an important lesson for her. Loved the book too!

  • http://www.hware.com Brenda Horton

    Thank you Susan! So appreciate your friendship!

  • Tom Croley

    Chucky, Charles, Doubles partner, Friend,
    Love the words of wisdom! Belated happy Birthday to you!
    What about adding one more “never hit an overhead smash intentionally at your opponets belly button” ;)

  • http://www.hware.com Chuck Horton

    Hey Thomas, Tom, Doubles partner and Friend,
    I can’t take credit for these words of wisdom, they are my wife’s. She has much more wisdom than I. But I do like your addition. Still trying to learn it though.

  • Laura

    Ahhhhhhh…… Love it! Needed this….great thoughts. Thank you for sharing. Hugs Laura :)

  • http://www.hware.com Brenda Horton

    Hugs back atcha Laura! Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

  • http://www.hware.com/2010/11/the-opportunities-are-abundant/ The Opportunities Are Abundant — Hware

    [...] We are starting to look at our lives, and businesses in terms of our legacy.  We are starting to realize that how we live our lives and design our businesses will be the legacy we leave behind. [...]

  • http://www.hware.com/2010/12/a-thank-you-letter-to-facebook/ A Thank You Letter To Facebook — Hware

    [...] often say that the life you live is the legacy you will leave [...]

  • http://christinebreese.name/ Christine Breese

    Wow! Good stuff! Thank YOU!

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