It’s 10:15 in the morning, on the 10th of December.  I’m doing a little work in my classroom before I leave for the U.S. tomorrow afternoon.  And as I was hanging up different quotes on the wall, a Mason Jennings song inspired me to write.  One line in particular says, “And brother you should know, that there is no one in this world who feels no pain.”  It’s from his song, “Student of this Life” and it has prompted me to make a list of things I’ve learned over time in my short life.

1.  Everyone suffers and feels pain regardless of how much money they have, or how they appear on the outside.

2.  We can minimize our suffering, or increase our suffering depending on little decisions we make every day.

3.  Love is far more powerful than hate.

4.  We learn the most through experience.

5.  Everyone wants to be loved and respected.

6.  Death is inevitable; living a meaningful life is not.  We must work constantly at making our lives benefit the soul of the world.

7.  We all have a certain amount of energy, and when we use it to help others, our energy level increases.  When we use it selfishly, our energy level depletes.

8.  Dancing is good for the soul.

9.  What we eat impacts who we are.

10.  What we listen to impacts who we are.

11.  We need to be careful about the people we surround ourselves with.  Certain friendships are not always healthy.

12.  In order to not lose perspective, we need constant reminders.

13.  Every moment matters.

14.  Happiness is not temporary.  A happy person finds meaning in the most mundane situations.

15.  Show children respect and allow them to follow their own destinies.  Don’t force them into following yours.

16.  Love EVERYONE, even if we don’t always like what they do.

17.   Our actions DO change the world.

18.  BE ARTISTIC!

19.  Inspire yourself and others; be open to inspiration.

20.  Stop…to think…from time to time…