The Life of Bon: The 26 secrets to life

Thursday, May 01, 2014

The 26 secrets to life


26 SECRETS OF LIFE

1.  If you don't have time to take a shower, you can put on deodorant, spray some perfume and spray dry shampoo in your hair.  This can work for up to four days.  After that you're just gross.

2.  If you don't have time to wash your clothes, you can run a fabric softener sheet all over them.  VOILA!  Your clothes smell like they just came out of the dryer.

3.  When your house is clean you feel less stressed.

4.  Everybody has done something they are less than proud of.  Judge lightly.  Unless they keep doing it over and over and over.  Then you can judge however you feel like.

5.  Once you become an adult you can eat whatever you want and nobody gets mad at you, it's so great!  But your body feels like crap when you do that so do it sparingly.

6.  Remember people's birthdays.

7.  To be a good conversationalist (or a good friend!) ask questions. Remember what people have told you (i.e. "I'm nervous for a test coming up) and ask them about it next time you see them.

8.  Ice cream fixes most problems.

9.  Talk slowly when you are in an argument.

10.  Don't make fun of people if they dance funny.  It's just rude.

11.  There will always be one cousin/aunt/co-worker/neighbor who offends you.  Start expecting it and you won't feel offended every time.  Or better yet, tell yourself everytime they say something rude you get to buy a new pair of shoes.  You'll start looking forward to the insults!

12.  Exercise can suck while you're doing it, but it feels good after.

13.  Nobody's life is really like the movies.

14.  Plans change.  That's okay.  Abandon that which no longer serves you.  Be willing to be flexible and see other paths than the one you originally planned on.

15.  If you can't remember somebody's name just ask them.  And then think about their name for seven seconds after they tell it to you.  You won't forget again.

16.  If you don't do the dishes tonight, they're still there tomorrow.  They don't do themselves.

17.  People like you if you like them.

18.  Everybody vomits at some point in their life.  It's to keep us humble and totally grossed out by the food that we eat.

19.  People don't notice your mistakes as much as you think.  (Stolen from The Happiness Project.)

20.  If you don't feel like cooking because you are stressed and overwhelmed, pizzas are only $10.

21.  If you don't take the garbage out it will smell.  Inevitably.

22.  Don't invest too much time, energy, and passion into things you have no absolutely no control over.  Like professional sports teams or how tall you are.

23.  If you can do something in less than 60 seconds, do it now and not later.  This means hanging up your shirt, returning a text, loading your plate.

24.  Give people the benefit of the doubt.

25.  Don't flake on people.  If you make plans, stick to them.  You can cancel/ rearrange once and after that it's just rude.

26.  When you realize you know nothing about life, start making up the secrets of life to dish out to strangers and suddenly you will start to realize you know more than you think you do.

WHAT'S YOUR LIFE SECRET?  The best life secrets will be highlighted on Monday's post with a link to your bloggy blog!

Excerpts of post originally published May 2013.

46 comments:

  1. Seriously...25...WHY do people not commit!

    my life secret: remember that relationships take time to develop.

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  2. These are great! Ice cream DOES make everything better. My life secret was inspired by "A Practical Wedding" by Meg Keene: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. This of course applies to wedding planning when there is SO MUCH pressure to have the PERFECT day. But it applies to life as well. Your marriage doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. Your house does not have to be perfect. Your cooking/baking/DIY project does NOT have to be perfect. Shoot, your BLOG does not have to be perfect to be fantastic, entertaining, and amazing! Let go and just appreciate what you have.

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  3. My life secret that has made a world of difference for me is this: Everyone wants to be invited but few put forth the effort. You can sit and mope around and wonder why you never get invited to parties or events or you can get off your butt and plan your own party!

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  4. My life secret is to let go and forgive however hard it seems at the time; its not worth the heartache and worry to hold grudges and hateful feelings towards people.

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  5. These are awesome! Love it!

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  6. I luv number 11, I have a new work colleague I am not getting on with. I'm going to treat myself every time I get through a day without saying something sarcastic about her to others. It will make me a better person. Thank you for reminding me its not just on her, its on me too.

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  7. Smiles save. If some one is mad at you smile at them, if you are scared smile, if you are nervous, crying, disappointed, raging mad. Just smile, try to think of something that will genuinely make you smile. It releases endorphin's or some scientific thing that helps re-leave the stress of whatever situation you are in. Also it reminds you that these feelings are fleeting, and you have the power to change them.

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  8. I really wish I could go 3-4 days without showering. If I stretch it more than 2 days my hair gets super greasy!

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  9. My secret to life would have to remembering people, they get upset when they're always the ones to make plans/text first etc. You have to put effort into relationships to make them work!

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  10. My ultimate best secret to life is to go to sleep when you are annoyed/angry/frustrated. I guarantee you that when you wake up you'll be wondering why you were getting so worked up over something silly!

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  11. My is something I've only start to appreciate: perspective! The next time you're in a crappy situation, put it into perspective. The next time you have to park at the back of a small parking lot, just think about how that same spot would be GOLDEN in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Works every time.

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  12. What an amazing list, I love all the secrets you listed. One thing that has made a huge impact on my day is smiling at strangers, because I know when someone smiles at me it makes my day a little bit brighter :)

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  13. If you love yourself and take care of yourself first, you will be better-equipped to love and take care of the people around you.

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  14. Anonymous8:47 AM

    My life secret: take care of yourself. Once you do that, everything else will feel infinitely easier!

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  15. Anonymous9:09 AM

    If you walk around with a negative attitude, you will inevitably attract more negativity. If you try to be positive about your life, you will suddenly realize that there is more beauty to life than you thought in the first place.

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  16. I loved every single point! My biggest life secret is to pick your battles. Not every disagreement has to be a big argument.

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  17. Great thoughts! Hmmm.... choosing happiness is much easier than looking for it, because nobody can make you happy except you. If YOU decide to be happy, come hell or high water, you will be.

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  18. Lol at #26!!! Way to be humble, while also doling out the wisdom. :) I like these very much, particularly the reminders that your chores really aren't that hard and neither is being social. Here's mine:

    1. Alcohol and Chinese food do not mix
    2. Free drinks aren't really free (I mean, sometimes they are, but more often than not they come along with some overbearing guy who thinks you owe him something)
    3. Organization makes your life better. I'm talking task lists, chore charts, the whole nine yards! Everything is less overwhelming when you know what everything is. (kind of like #3, but for your brain)

    Jenn | Business, Life & Design

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  19. To manage your expectations of people and to forgive quickly. I stopped talking to my best friend about three years ago and it literally took me two years to completely forgive her. Had I forgiven her sooner, things would have been much easier on my part.

    We talk now and again and a couple months ago she suddenly stopped returning any text messages. It really, really rubbed me the wrong way and after talking it over with my mom, she just told me that I needed to expect that because this girl was a flake and bad friend, that this would be the rule rather than the exception. I just don't text her anymore, but if/when I ever contact her again, just expecting that she won't make any effort to contact me or to have the courtesy to return my messages keeps me from getting angry with her.

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  20. Always go to the store the day after a holiday to stock up on cheap candy! :)

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  21. First of all - you're really pretty in that header picture at the top of today's post. I am NOT, NOT, NOT saying that becuse your face is cut off. You just look really nice. Am I creepy yet? No? Good.

    #23 - YES YES YES. I need to remember this.

    #10 - I need to print out and hand to everyone who knows me.

    And mine - Volunteer. I volunteer weekly at an animal shelter and, even on rainy miserable days when all I want to do is stay home, it always rewards my soul. See also: Exercise, spending the time to organize, cleaning my disgusting apartment.

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  22. You can only truly control yourself. Once I realized that, I was a lot less stressed! Oh and let things go. That person that you're venting over and over about? They don't even know you're doing it. So the only person you're hurting is you!

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  23. Anonymous10:33 AM

    Thank you for sharing your secrets, now I know I can go off and be super successful and think of all the time I'll save without having to shower daily!

    My secret is to always laugh at yourself, it makes life way more enjoyable.

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  24. hahaha thanks I needed those and yes ice cream fixes everything except the number on the scale LOL

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  25. My life secret:

    Although the big, defining, more "significant" moments of our life are important in defining our life path, it's usually the seemingly small, daily habits that eventually lead towards the most lasting changes and dictate the course of our life (whether for the better or worse).

    My other one?

    Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a day, but drastically underestimate how much they can accomplish when they do a little bit each day over a long period of time. Motto?

    Do a little bit each day.

    (that last one is also adapted from the Happiness Project!)

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  26. Life (and especially office culture) is a lot like high school, even when you're well past 16. Remember that, and don't feed into it.

    P.S. The first one is my favorite. Glad we have four days of no showers before being completely gross.

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  27. Man, "People don't notice your mistakes as much as you think".... isn't that the truth, and something I need to remember. And the rest of these, are all so true. Too bad the dishes don't do themselves though!!! darn.

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  28. Secret to life - laugh, laugh a lot, laugh loud, laugh long and laugh proud

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  29. These were so fun to read!
    My best life secrets:
    1. Don't always assume someone is upset with you. People can have a bad day that has nothing to you with you and take it out on you without meaning to.
    2. If you buy a new piece of clothing and don't wear it within the first week (special occasion clothes excluded) then return it because you'll never wear it.
    3. Just because you put chocolate on something does not mean it will be better (ex: broccoli)
    4. dancing by yourself to your favorite song in your underwear with a hair brush as a microphone is guaranteed to make you feel better for at least 10 minutes.
    lauren
    1sweetfairytale.blogspot.com

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  30. Love it! I decided to just steal your idea and post it on my blog because it's Friday and I didn't want to think of an idea. lol

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  31. This list is really really really wise. Thank you for sharing. I hope you can find somewhere to publish this. I just love it.

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  32. 1. When you feel self-conscious about something (i.e. bad hair day, crooked teeth, pimple on your face), just stand up tall and own your imperfection. God created you just as you are, chances are someone else isn't noticing or doesn't even care - even if they do, you shouldn't!

    2. Say NO. You don't have to do everything. You'll begin saying YES to the things that truly matter to you and cutting the strings on things that don't.

    I remember reading this last year and it was nice to be refreshed on it. Great pieces of advice!

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  33. #3, 6, & 16... YES.

    My life "secret" is... don't drink orange juice after brushing your teeth. Just...don't.

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  34. A Sunday well spent brings a week of content. <3 My favorite day of the week is Sunday because it prepares me for my week!

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  35. If I bought a pair of shoes every time someone was rude to me at work.... My paycheck would be gone! haha but maybe every few weeks wouldn't be a bad reward.

    My life secret is to always hold hands whenever you can. Whether it's with your significant other, family, or friends, life is easier to get through when you do it together.

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  36. Um? I need a poster of this! Is it so true, every single thing. Loved this! As for my life secret? Don't give advice unless asked for it, and even then just ask what their instincts are telling them. People tend to just want someone to talk to and feel validated by. Also, in marriage I have learned to keep my mouth closed! That sounds bad, but not telling him every time I am annoyed or upset makes us happier, because it is almost always something small and not worth it.

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  37. What a great list, I can go without bathing one night but that is it I like to be clean but my hair if I don't wash it every day it looks terrible I have oily hair always have had and it is bloody annoying

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  38. Great! I think most people forget that to make friends you have to be a good friend and it's oretty rare that people take the time to follow up and ask questions about things that are going on in your life.

    My life secret is this: anytime I am stressed or worried about something that seems monumental in the moment I ask myself : " in the grand scheme of my life, is this even going to matter?" The answer is almost ALWAYS no. Helps put things in perspective and calm me down!

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  39. If you wear uncomfortable shoes you will be unhappy all day.
    Do something good for someone because it will make you feel better.
    Ask for help because most people love feeling needed.
    Even if you can open the pickle jar yourself, ask your man to do it, it makes him feel really good.
    Always keep snacks in your purse.

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  40. Say "Please" and "Thank you". People remember those who are polite; it's not that common anymore.

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  41. i love all of this.

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  42. A dog makes your life significantly better.
    If you're stressed out, take a nap. You almost always feel better after a nap.

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  43. Comparison is the thief of joy. Always look at what you are blessed with, don't compare have and have not's, you will miss out on all the joy your own life holds by thinking someone else's is better.

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  44. Anonymous8:27 PM

    My best piece of advice: give it up to God. When I am at my breaking point and scared or worried or angry or broken and I feel out of control and alone, I ask God to help me get through it. I ask Him to help me carry my burdens and then I trust that He will. On the flip side, when I am happy and things are going well, I express my gratitude to Him and give it for His love and forgiveness.

    Believe it or not I am not a religious person and have not stepped foot in a church in 15 years. But without a doubt, I believe in God and He has always believed in me in return.

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  45. Oh I totally love this!!

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