50 WAYS TO GET UNSTRESSED IN A STRESSED-OUT WORLD

DE-CLUTTER YOUR ENVIRONMENT.  PEACE IS NEVER FOUND IN THE MIDST OF
CHAOS.

1.  Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

2.  Get a place for everything, and put everything in its place.

3.  Have backups: an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key
buried in the garden, extra stamps in the car, whatever will lower your
stress.

4.  Surround yourself with what you love ... whether it's pets, plants,
music, hobbies, or keepsakes.  Make your home your refuge.

5.  Enjoy the simple things.

6.  Take one day at a time.

7.  Slow down. You're never going to get it all done anyway.

8.  Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9.  Spread big changes and difficult projects over time.  Don't lump all
the hard things together.


TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY.  THERE'S NO PLACE ELSE TO LIVE.

10. Eat right.

11. Go to bed on time.  Get enough rest.

12. Get up on time.  Start your day with calmness.

13. Drive carefully. Cars aren't the only things that can be recalled by
their maker.

14. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it.  If it is unstable,
improve it.  If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

15. Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.


GUARD YOUR HEART.  DON'T LET THE WORLD STEAL YOUR JOY.

16. Laugh.  And then laugh some more -- even if you have to fake it til
you make it.

17. Laugh often, long and loud.  Laugh until you gasp for breath.

18. Do something for the kid in you every day.

19. Smile. Peace starts with a smile.

20. Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the
statue.

21. Do what is right.  Forbidden fruits create jams.

22. Don't let your worries get the best of you.  Remember, Moses started
out as a basket case.

23. Let the tears come.  Endure, grieve, and move on.  Be ALIVE while
you are alive.

24. Don't take guilt trips.  Take a trip to the mall, even to the next
county or a foreign country ... but not to Guilt City.

25. Don't forget ... birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the
longer you live.


WATCH YOUR MOUTH.  THE POWER OF LIFE AND DEATH ARE FOUND IN THE TONGUE.

26. Talk less. Listen more.

27. Tell your loved ones ... that you love them ... at every
opportunity.

28. Keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

29. Be kind to unkind people.  They probably need it the most.  And if
you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

30. Don't put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you
won't have a leg to stand on.

31. Practice KYMS (Keeping Your Mouth Shut). It will prevent an enormous
amount of trouble.

32. Forgive.  Most people are doing the best they can with what they
have.


BUILD YOUR RELATIONSHIPS.  THEY DETERMINE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE.

33. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

34. Build memories.  Life is not measured by the number of breaths you
take, but by the moments that take your breath away.

35. Learn to get along ... just like crayons.  Some are sharp.  Some are
pretty, and some are dull.  Some have weird names, and all are different
colors.           But they all have to live in the same box.

36. Let go of grudges. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person
again, it was probably worth it.

37. Refrain from judgment.  God Himself does not propose to judge a man
until he is dead.  So why should you?

38. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the
universe.


NURTURE YOUR SPIRIT.  IT'S THE SOURCE OF HOPE.

39. Take time ... every day ... to be alone ... and relish the power of
peace and quiet.

40. Listen to a motivational CD while you're driving ... a CD that will
improve your quality of life.

41. Write down every great thought that comes to you.  Chances are you
won't remember them, and it may take you another 20 years to learn the
lesson you     just lost.

42. Keep a folder of your favorite sayings on hand.

43. Write down one thing you're grateful for.  And then add one more
thing to your list each and every day.

44. Make a list of what you want to do, have, experience, and witness
before you die.  It's a sure way to get a lot more of what you want in
your life!

45. Strive for excellence.  It is not necessary to be perfect.
Excellence will do just fine!

46. Walk your talk.  It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to
live one.

47. Remember, when you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives
there.

48. Pray.  Then take some time to listen.  Many folks want to serve God,
but only as advisors.

49. Don't put a question mark where God put a period.

50. Remember ... the Will of God never takes you to where the Grace of
God will not protect you.