-Promise to do some of the things you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t find the
time for.

-Call a neglected friend.

-Drop an old grudge, and replace it with more pleasant memories.

-Share a funny story with someone whose spirits are dragging. A good laugh can be good medicine.

-Vow not to make any promise you don’t think you can keep.

-Pay off your debt- especially one that is not monetary.

-Free yourself of some of your envy and malice.

-Encourage a young person to do his or her best.

-Share your experience and offer support. Young people need good role models.

-Make a genuine effort to stay in close touch with family and make good friends.

-Resolve to stop magnifying small problems and talking without thinking.

-Find the time to be kind and thoughtful. All of us have the same allotment, 24 hours a day.

-Pay someone a compliment. It might give a badly needed lift to a person who really needs it.

-Think things through.

-Forgive a grave injustice.

-Listen more.

-Be kind.

-Apologize when you discover you were wrong. An apology never diminishes a person. It elevates him.

-Don’t blow your own horn. If you’ve done something praiseworthy, someone will notice eventually.

-Try to understand a point of view different from your own. Nothing is 100% pure.

-Examine the demands you make on others.

-Lighten up. When you feel like blowing your top, ask yourself, “Will it matter a week from today?”

-When the joke is on you, laugh the loudest.

-The surest way to have a friend is to be one. We are all connected by our humanity, and we need each other.

-Avoid malcontents and pessimists. They will drag you down and contribute nothing of value.

-Don’t discourage a beginner from trying something risky. Nothing ventured means nothing gained. Losing is not as bad as not trying.

-Be optimistic. The can- do spirit is the fuel that makes things go.

-Declare war against gossip, which only causes trouble.

-Give credit when it is due. People long to be appreciated.

-Read something uplifting. Then read it to a friend.

-Don’t abandon your principles, no matter how old fashioned they appear; they never go out of style.

-Whenever courage is needed, ask yourself, “If not me, then who? If not now, when?”

-Take better care of yourself. Remember, you’re all that you’ve got.

-Clean out your closet. Throw away the trash, give away the good stuff you don’t need.

-Take those photos out of the drawer and put them in an album. Show your friends.

-If you see litter on the sidewalk, pick it up instead of walking over it.

-Give yourself a reality check. Phoniness is always transparent. It is also tiresome.

-Take pleasure in the wonders of nature. Every flower is a miracle.

What Does It Mean?

1.        Don’t blow your own horn.

2.        feel like blowing up your top

3.        Nothing ventured means nothing gained.

4.        old- fashioned principles

5.        reality check

Comprehension Check

1.        Why don’t we have to blow our own horns?
2.        Why should we encourage beginners to take a risk?
3.        Make a list of old- fashioned principles you think are important.