David Brooks' Practical Wisdom
1. When you have 90% of a large project finished, finishing up the final details will take another 90%.
2. Denying or deflecting a compliment is rude. Accept it with thanks.
3. Getting cheated occasionally is a small price to pay for trusting the best in everyone. When you trust the best in others, they will treat you the best.
4. Purchase a tourist guidebook to your hometown. You'll learn a lot playing tourists once a year.
5. The thing that made you weird as a kid will make you outstanding as an adult.
6. It's not an apology if it comes with an excuse.
7. Just because it's not your fault doesn't mean it's not your responsibility.
8. If you think you saw a mouse, you did, and if you saw one, there are others.
9. If you can't make up your mind between two options, flip a coin. But don't go by how the coin comes up, go by your emotional reaction to how the coin went up.
10. Take photos of your parents every day. That's how you'll want to remember them.
11. If you meet a jerk once a month, you've met a jerk. If you meet a jerk every day, you're the jerk.
12. Don't ever look at a recent photo of your first grade love.
13. You can always tell someone to go to hell tomorrow.