We a r e a l l b o r n into this world without a recipe
book to tell us precisely how to live. If we had
been given one, things might have been much easier.
So, although it is late in the game for some of us, I
thought I would review some of the recipes I have
found helpful in my journey. My basic concept about life is the age-old
instruction of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
The best part about this recipe is that you don’t have to interpret
what it means, as we easily understand how we would like to be
treated. We seldom are in a quandary about what we would do if the shoe
were, so to say, on the other foot.
One of my other favorite recipes is the simple and straightforward,
“Do the right thing.” Unfortunately, that can sometimes be a difficult
decision to make. I generally find myself referring back to my first
recipe of what would I think the right thing to do would be if it was
being done to me. It is interesting how often your thoughts may vary,
depending on whose bull is being gored.
Along with these two basic recipes, there are thousands more, but of
those, my favorite is the Serenity Prayer that advises to let me accept
that which I cannot change and change that which can and should be
changed, provided that I have the wisdom to recognize the difference.
Now, there is a challenge for you. If you can determine which is which,
life certainly will become happier for you and those around you.
If you are wondering why, at my age, I’m still looking for recipes
to help guide me through life, it is because life is all we have; and,
therefore, I believe anything we can pursue to make it better, more
fun, easier or more rewarding is definitely worth the effort. Simple
statements, such as “Never eat yellow snow,”or “Measure twice,
cut once,” are helpful, but refer only to certain types of limited
situations, whereas I’m constantly in search of those thoughts
that can be applied almost universally, despite the circumstances.
Such is the case with the concept of treating others as you would
want them to treat you. Strangely, another recipe that has held up
for me throughout my life is, “There is no such thing as a free lunch,” and
the idea that if it is worth having, it is worth working for.
The nice thing about these recipes is that, much the same as in
cooking, you can modify them to your personal taste; but you must
not deviate too far from the principle behind the list of ingredients
and preparation instructions. Life is something we learn about as we go
through it. Our lives, like our meals, are what we make of them; and
since we are limited to one life, it’s up to each of us to make it the best
that we can. Just follow the recipe. I try to.
I’m not myself today and everybody has noticed the improvement 25