16 harsh truths that will make you stronger. (Gathered by Marc and Angel)

1. Life is not easy. – Hard work makes people lucky – it’s the stuff that brings dreams to reality. So start every morning ready to run farther than you did yesterday and fight harder than you ever have before.
2. You will fail sometimes. – The faster you accept this, the faster you can get on with being brilliant. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. So get out there and do something! Either you succeed or you learn a vital lesson. Win – Win.
3. Right now, there’s a lot you don’t know. – The day you stop learning is the day you stop living. Embrace new information, think about it and use it to advance yourself.
4. There may not be a tomorrow. – Not for everyone. Right now, someone on Earth is planning something for tomorrow without realizing they’re going to die today. This is sad but true. So spend your time wisely today and pause long enough to appreciate it.
5. There’s a lot you can’t control. – Wasting your time, talent and emotional energy on things that are beyond your control is a recipe for frustration, misery and stagnation. Invest your energy in the things you can control.
6. Information is not true knowledge. – Knowledge comes from experience. You can discuss a task a hundred times, but these discussions will only give you a philosophical understanding. You must experience a task firsthand to truly know it.
7. You can’t be successful without providing value. – Don’t waste your time trying to be successful, spend your time creating value. When you’re valuable to the world around you, you will be successful.
8. Someone else will always have more than you. – Whether it’s money, friends or magic beans that you’re collecting, there will always be someone who has more than you. But remember, it’s not how many you have, it’s how passionate you are about collecting them. It’s all about the journey.
9. You can’t change the past. – As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” You can’t change what happened, but you can change how you react to it.
10. The only person who can make you happy is you. – The root of your happiness comes from your relationship with yourself. Sure external entities can have fleeting effects on your mood, but in the long run nothing matters more than how you feel about who you are on the inside.
11. There will always be people who don’t like you. – You can’t be everything to everyone. No matter what you do, there will always be someone who thinks differently. So concentrate on doing what you know in your heart is right. What others think and say about you isn’t all that important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.
12. You won’t always get what you want. – As Mick Jagger once said, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might find you get what you need.” Look around. Appreciate the things you have right now. Many people aren’t so lucky.
13. In life, you get what you put in. – If you want love, give love. If you want friends, be friendly. If you want money, provide value. It really is this simple.
14. Good friends will come and go. – Most of your high school friends won’t be a part of your college life. Most of your college friends won’t be a part of your 20-something professional life. Most of your 20-something friends won’t be there when your spouse and you bring your second child into the world. But some friends will stick. And it’s these friends – the ones who transcend time with you – who matter.
15. Doing the same exact thing every day hinders self growth. – If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Growth happens when you change things – when you try new things – when you stretch beyond your comfort zone.
16. You will never feel 100% ready for something new. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means you won’t feel totally comfortable or ready for it.

I found this in the envelope with my birth certificate. Apparently it's my instruction manual for life.

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A few important life lessons

Lesson 1: Naked Wife

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower

when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs

downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next door neighbor.

Before she says a word, Bob says, “I’ll give you $800 to drop that towel.” After

thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front

of Bob.

After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 dollars and leaves. The woman wraps

back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom,

her husband asks,…

“Who was that?” “It was Bob the next door neighbor,” she replies. “Great!”

the husband says, “Did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?”

Moral of the story:
If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your

shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when

they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says,

“I’ll give each of you just one wish” “Me first! Me first!” says the administration

clerk. “I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the

world.” Poof! She’s gone. “Me next! Me next!” says the sales rep. “I want to be in Hawaii,relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of

Pina Coladas and the love of my life.” Poof! He’s gone. “OK, you’re up,” the

Genie says to the manager. The manager says, “I want those two back in the

office after lunch.”

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 3

A priest offered a lift to a Nun. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown

to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he

stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said,”Father, remember Psalm 129?”

The priest removed his hand. But,changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg

again. The nun once again said, “Father, remember Psalm 129?” The priest

apologized “Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.” Arriving at the convent, the nun

went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm

129. It said, “Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.”

Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a

great opportunity.

Lesson 4

A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A rabbit asked him,”Can

I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?” The crow answered: “Sure,

why not.” So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested.

A fox jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting

very high up.

Lesson 5: Power of Charisma

A turkey was chatting with a bull “I would love to be able to get to the

top of that tree,” sighed the turkey, but I haven’t got the energy.” “Well,

why don’t you nibble on my droppings?” replied the bull. “They’re packed

with nutrients.” The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it

gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next

day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally

after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree.

Soon he was spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.

Moral of the story: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it wont

keep you there.

Lesson 6

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze

and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow

came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in

the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was

actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began

to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.

Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung,

and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Moral of the story:
1. Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy
2. Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend
3. And when you’re in deep shit, it’s best to keep your mouth shut!