Top 40

I remember when I was a teenager around 15, I loved listening to a radio show  each week Known as “the top 40 songs on the Billboard chart” and some hits would remain as #1 for a long time and others would fade away quickly. Here are my top 40 words to live by that has made an impression on me and have lasted for six decades. The photo is a newspaper clipping to announce my 15th birthday (quinceañera) I had two celebrations, one on Friday with one set of friends and another on Saturday with another set of friends. 

1.    Only dead fish go with the flow.

2.    Make it happen!

3.    Doubt kills dreams.

4.    Make eye contact, smile and say “hello.”

5.    You are given this life so live it well.

6.    Live within your means.

7.    Return everything you borrow.

8.    Stop blaming other people.

9.    Admit it when you make a mistake.

10.  Give clothes not worn to charity.

11.  Do something nice and try not to get caught.

12.  Listen more, talk less.

13.  Every day take a 30- minute walk.

14.  Strive for success, not perfection.

15.  Be on time. Don’t make excuses.

16.  Be kind to unkind people.

17.  Let someone cut ahead of you in line.

18.  Be humble.

19.  Choose to be a hero.

20.  Realize and accept that life isn’t fair.

21.  Know when to keep your mouth shut.

22.  Go an entire day without criticizing anyone.

23.  Learn from the past, plan for the future,  live in the present. 

24.  Don’t sweat the small stuff.

25.  When life gets hard: keep moving forward, one step at a time. 

26.  Family is where life begins.

27.  Happiness is a choice. 

28.  Love is a choice.

29.  Don’t lose faith in who you are. 

30.  Bitter or better, it’s a choice. 

31.  Don’t take a single moment for granted.

32.  No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and never give up! 

33.  Being a good person does not guarantee a trouble-free life.

34.  Find something you are passionate about and do it.

35.  Have courage to be kind.

36.  We are that person that can change the world.

37.  The grass is always greener where you watered it. 

38.  Don’t assume, ask! 

39.  Don’t look back, you are not going that way. 

40.  Your presence is my present.

Con amor,

Vero