All About Women | Women

From Anne Goodwin's award-winning book, Stay for Lunch, here are just a few of the Life Lessons she learned from Francina ~ with some insights from yours truly.

Life’s a journey. Remember to take notes.

I love this one, as an avid note-taker and journaler. I journey about my journey, my journey of life. Always keep either Post-It Notes or a Moleskine notebook on hand. They are small enough to tuck in a purse or pocket. You never know when you will need to jot down a memory.

Say yes. Participate in life fully.

We say yes to everything else in life that does not serve us. Yet, when it comes to our own lives, we say maybe, or worse, we say no. Try saying YES, and see what happens. Then, jump up and yell, TA-DA!

Accept life’s twists with grace.

We never know what will happen from moment to moment. But I love what Byron Katie says. Life happens for you, not to you. Accept the lessons and the blessings.

Be open. Choose to connect.

I know this is one of those “easier said than done” deals, especially living in New York. One of the things I love about Meetup.com is that it is all about making connections. There is enough isolationism going on, time to grab your smile and go out and meet someone.

Listen to your inner voice. Trust it.

I am a big believer in listening to my intuition, or that still, small voice within. I have denied it far too many times and suffered the consequences. I have honed the skill, yes it is a skill, of listening to that inner voice. It has never led me astray.

Act. Be someone’s angel.

Too often we have the sense to do something for someone – just because we feel like it or we see the need. Then for some reason, we betray that sense and don’t do what we intended. When you have the sense, honor it. Just do it; for no other reason than it’s a kind thing to do.

Choose faith over fear.

Both fear and faith have feelings attached to them. To know the difference, ask yourself which feels most aligned with who you are and which feels forced and anxious. We tend to go against the feeling that most expresses our authenticity because someone will be offended or hurt. Instead, it is you who ends up hurting. Stop denying what your inner most gut is telling you. Just trust it.