New Year's Vows

Let this coming year be better than any other.
-Promise to do some of the things you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t find the
time for.-Call a neglected friend.
-Drop an old grudge, and replace it with more pleasant memories.
-Share a funny story with someone whose spirits are dragging. A good laugh can be good medicine.
-Vow not to make any promise you don’t think you can keep.
-Pay off your debt- especially one that is not monetary.
-Free yourself of some of your envy and malice.
-Encourage a young person to do his or her best.
-Share your experience and offer support. Young people need good role models.
-Make a genuine effort to stay in close touch with family and make good friends.
-Resolve to stop magnifying small problems and talking without thinking.
-Find the time to be kind and thoughtful. All of us have the same allotment, 24 hours a day.
-Pay someone a compliment. It might give a badly needed lift to a person who really needs it.
-Think things through.
-Forgive a grave injustice.
-Listen more.
-Be kind.
-Apologize when you discover you were wrong. An apology never diminishes a person. It elevates him.
-Don’t blow your own horn. If you’ve done something praiseworthy, someone will notice eventually.
-Try to understand a point of view different from your own. Nothing is 100% pure.
-Examine the demands you make on others.
-Lighten up. When you feel like blowing your top, ask yourself, “Will it matter a week from today?”
-When the joke is on you, laugh the loudest.
-The surest way to have a friend is to be one. We are all connected by our humanity, and we need each other.
-Avoid malcontents and pessimists. They will drag you down and contribute nothing of value.
-Don’t discourage a beginner from trying something risky. Nothing ventured means nothing gained. Losing is not as bad as not trying.
-Be optimistic. The can- do spirit is the fuel that makes things go.
-Declare war against gossip, which only causes trouble.
-Give credit when it is due. People long to be appreciated.
-Read something uplifting. Then read it to a friend.
-Don’t abandon your principles, no matter how old fashioned they appear; they never go out of style.
-Whenever courage is needed, ask yourself, “If not me, then who? If not now, when?”
-Take better care of yourself. Remember, you’re all that you’ve got.
-Clean out your closet. Throw away the trash, give away the good stuff you don’t need.
-Take those photos out of the drawer and put them in an album. Show your friends.
-If you see litter on the sidewalk, pick it up instead of walking over it.
-Give yourself a reality check. Phoniness is always transparent. It is also tiresome.
-Take pleasure in the wonders of nature. Every flower is a miracle.
What Does It Mean?1. Don’t blow your own horn.2. feel like blowing up your top
3. Nothing ventured means nothing gained.
4. old- fashioned principles
5. reality check
Comprehension Check
1. Why don’t we have to blow our own horns?
2. Why should we encourage beginners to take a risk?
3. Make a list of old- fashioned principles you think are important.