I now know the answer to my life: I have been a very bad girl and this is Hell!! Laughing about the absurdity of life makes everything easier…also, a great faith in God!

Marilyn in SC

I think every day of our life we grow by learning things from myriad sources and we should keep our minds and hearts open to such learning

Sita

Be Here Now. The reader, like me, may have heard this often, but I really, really heard it when I finally knew I had to refrain from ever feeling the victim and hanging onto the past.

Lora from Canada

I thought about what gem of wisdom has changed me.
It has to be:
The toes you tread on today are on the feet which are on the ends of the legs that hold up the bottom you may have to kiss tomorrow.
I still tread on toes but sometimes I think about things first.

Peta

Very succinctly:

Shit happens.
This, too, shall pass.

Unfortunately, I’m presently facing a situation (chronic debilitating disease, non-fatal) that will only get worse, which makes me wonder about #2 - but on the other hand, I’ve learned that people are actually better than I had thought. Confinement to a wheelchair gives a whole new perspective!

Left as a comment by Lynne Gabbe-Harkcom

I know this is from a well known song but is something I try and live by:
“I am what I am, and what I am needs no excuses” It’s taken me all my life to start learning that this is the one thing I have heard I need to listen to.
And when someone tells me they love me, its really is worth taking the risk to believe them.
Female, 26, York, UK.”

At my school when we said we needed something they used to ask us to categorize it as Needs, Wants or Wishes. We were unlikely to get Wishes.

from Joyce of J’s Quilting Blog

from Susan of Susan in stitches
two axioms I live by:
Always look ahead … there are no regrets in that direction
and
the only difference between a stepping stone and a stumbling block is in how you use them.

[this last one came my way not long after my second son was diagnosed as severely disabled. That was about 25 years ago . I'm still here. Still relatively sane. Musta helped huh?]

Something my grandmother lived by, which kept her life
and her home uncluttered…

things you want,
things you need,
and things you can’t live without.

From Robin with thanks

Linda Hartmann dropped me an email to add her observations after a career as psychotherapist

The only reason that people go to therapists (we’re talking about ordinary, you - and - me people here) is that it is the first time in their life that someone has listened to them — really listened to
them — for an hour. It is extremely addictive. I have had to kick many clients out after teaching them how to make friends.