truth – Page 2 – Sweat & Sparkle

I collect quotes on every topic under the sun, because I delight in stumbling across words put together in a way that express something I think or feel in a different way than I can say it. Sometimes it’s just for humor. Sometimes it’s to vent. And sometimes it’s just taking intense emotions and putting some of those feelings into words that nail it for me.

One of my favorite categories is love quotes. At the root of everything is love. Family, friends, pets, lovers, our hobbies…everything boils down to what makes our hearts happy and our capacity to share that with others.

Even more rare than genuine love is long-lasting love that stands the test of time.

Second only to love is the ability to laugh, to find humor in even unpleasant situations (and unpleasant people). Given that, I simply have to share this one, too:

Some of my most valuable life lessons have actually been delivered through people I do not like or respect at all. Sometimes it’s not the teacher, but the teaching, that matters most; don’t close your ears to the lesson simply because you are turned off by the messenger.

Here are some things I have learned by observing people I do not like even the tiniest bit:

Respect and appreciate the people in your life who care about you. Talk is cheap: show them you love them. Leave no doubt. Pour your attention and time onto them, not onto irrelevant people who bring no happiness to your days.
Focus on your own life, your own goals, your own path. Obsessing over someone else’s life will result in years flying by with no growth or positive change in yours.
Hand-outs from others very often come with too many strings attached to make them worth it. I choose to stand on my own two feet instead of depending on someone who only wants to yank puppet strings. (Besides, isn’t being in your 50s and still getting an allowance from your daddy just a wee bit embarrassing?)
Jealousy and bitterness age you. Lack of joy and genuine happiness etch your face like a chisel into stone.
Appreciating life can’t be overemphasized. Watch more sunsets. Search for shapes in clouds. Lose yourself in the sound of your loved one’s voice. Hold on tight to life, and celebrate being here another day.
Cherish what you already have. Don’t waste energy by eyeing what others have, or by comparing, measuring, and complaining. It’s a pointless drain that subtracts happiness from your life.
Self-awareness, honesty with yourself, and a willingness to continuously learn and evolve are non-negotiable for a meaningful life. Without these, you end up repeating the same disastrous mistakes and reliving the same catastrophic relationships in a miserable existence, on an endless loop, with no hope of improvement. I see this in the same person who taught me lesson #2, and it is no way I would ever choose to live.
Value your dignity. Throwing yourself at men and begging them to like you because you can’t stand being single is just cringe-y and desperate.
Enjoy your children by respecting them as individuals. They are not blind to relentless lies, games, and manipulations. These behaviors render a toll that cannot be fully repaired.
Just tell the truth. Lying is ugly and cowardly.
Honor your obligations. Pay your damn bills. Oh, and don’t steal from your children or open credit cards in other people’s names. (Do non-trashy people really need to learn this, though?)
A sense of humor is a must. Someone who can’t joke around or laugh at themselves is no fun to be around.
Last but certainly not least: no amount of make-up or ridiculous photo filters will ever make up for lack of skin care and sunscreen!

I must say thank you to the people who offer up their life choices to model what happens when you refuse to learn from your mistakes. Even people determined to serve no discernible purpose whatsoever can at least teach the rest of us how not to be.