Five Simple Truths to Live By

            In today’s fast paced ever present minefield of technology hovering over every facet of our lives, it’s easy to get caught up and forget; forget pretty much everything we were ever taught.  There is no longer a quietness about our days nor is there a simplicity, in fact we’ve done about everything we can to make sure there is never silence and that lights are constantly flashing in our eyes.  And before we know it whatever we thought we were striving to accomplish, gets lost between the things we forgot to do yesterday and the things we should have done last week.  Through it all I’ve come to realize that there are a few truths that I strive to have in my life.

1. Be Honest – I know, honesty, a trait that most people find to be so last century, especially in the work environment that we all punch in and punch out of.  Being honest may not be something that the rest of the world holds as valuable, but for me I just can’t let myself not be.  Honesty means so much more than not telling lies, like being an honest worker, and honestly trying.  I know that when I look at myself in the mirror I did not make it through my day by being dishonest.  Now, I know, being honest will probably not get me as far as being dishonest, I realize this to the millionth degree.  But I do know that there will come a day when my honest existence will matter, and the dishonest guy with millions in the bank…well…he’ll get his.
2. Don’t Tire of Doing Good – This is soooo hard for me sometimes.  There are at least 3 people in this world right now that I would love to rip a new one, yes and I’ve mulled it over many many times in my mind.  How I would do the ripping, what the ripping would do to their innocent looking little faces, but alas, I can’t.  Because doing good like being honest, is something that doesn’t get much street cred; most people probably won’t even notice the bad that you refused to do.  I’m not trying to sound holier than thou, because believe I’m not.  I mess this one up all the time, but you’ll be better for it, trust me.
3. Forgive and Forget –The old saying, the one that sounds so sweet when you’re the one being forgiven, and so ridiculous when you’re the one trying to forgive.  Holding out forgiving someone will only make your life more miserable.  Let it go.  Seriously, let it go.  Life is way too short, and at the rate we are all going it’s going to get even shorter, so why waste all of this precious time not forgiving.  When it comes right down to it, at the end of your life, are you going to be thankful you held onto that bitterness?  Really?
4. Don’t Gossip – Oh that I could stamp this one on my forehead and wear it around like a piece of prized art.  How much time would I save if I didn’t read the gossip columns, or watch the gossip programs?  And that’s just the celebrity gossip that consumes much of our lives.  What about the real gossip, the kind that is only there to make ourselves feel better but cutting everyone else around us?  I’ve heard it said that a person who gossips will never truly have any friends, especially at the end of their lives.  Sad, but probably true.  If you don’t want someone gossiping about you, don’t do it to them.
5. It was never about them anyways – When it’s all said and done, unless you are surrounded by gossipers, people don’t really think about you as much as you believe they do.  In fact, they probably don’t think about you at all.  It is so freeing to realize that my life is not about all of these other people, whether they be my bosses, my ex’s, my relatives, etc etc.  When all is said and done it was never between me and them anyways.  And if I am able to nail this one down before I die, well then my life will get a little sweeter.

            I may never be able to grasp all of these truths at once, or even one of them for a long period of time, but I do know that in today’s world it is so easy to lose track of what matters as a person.  It is so easy to be consumed by everything else, to the point where I become nothing more than a fragment of what I was.  Oh to return to the more simple ways of life.  Life will always be crazy and hectic, but I am in control of my own behavior and attitudes, and so are you.