Over the years, I have collected quotes, bits of wisdom, quips of life and principles of living.  I have taken them from a number of sources, friends, family and thoughts that have just come to me while reading, pondering or out riding my horse with my family.  I have made a point to try to write these down and I thought that I would share them with you today.  Some of them apply to health, obesity, weight and others just apply to being a gentleman. Some of these I struggle with and maybe you do too. Some of them I am good at, and some of them I need to work on.  Let me know what you think:

• Ponder each night upon the events of the day, and make a goal for tomorrow.
• Never cancel dinner plans by text message.
• Every action in public should be done with some sign of respect to those present.
• When entrusted with a secret, keep it.
• When in the presence of others, do not sing to yourself, hum to yourself, or drum fingers or feet.
• If you cough, sneeze, sigh or yawn, cover your mouth.
• Being old is not dictated by your bedtime.
• Strategy is not the consequence of planning, but the opposite: its starting point.
• Of all the things a leader should fear, complacency should head the list.
• The great man is not only responsible for harvesting his own success, but for cultivating the success of the next generation.
• Vitality is shown not only in the ability to persist, but in the ability to start over.
• Smile when you pass a stranger.
• Know the words to your national anthem.
• Even if your dance moves aren’t the best, making a fool of yourself is much more fun than sitting on the bench.
• A suntan is earned, not purchased.
• Don’t sleep when others are talking, don’t sit when others stand, don’t talk when you should hold your peace, don’t walk when others stop.
• Don’t remove your clothes in the presence of others or leave the privacy of your home half dressed.
• Don’t bite your nails in the presence of others.
• Avoid turning your back on someone who is speaking.
• Don’t lean upon or kick the table upon which someone is reading or writing.
• Always be the first to remove your hat, salute, or extend your hand to your equal or superior.
• Let your speech with men of business be short and comprehensive.
• Whenever writing or speaking, give to every person his due title according to his degree and the custom of the time.
• Let your recreation be manful, not sinful.
• Don’t talk with food in your mouth.
• It is the duty of the senior ranking official within the group or company to unfold his napkin and begin eating first; however, that same official should begin with-in time and demonstrate enough dexterity that the slowest may have the necessary time allowed him to partake of the meal.
• Avoid strife in disagreement with a superior, but always submit your judgement to others with modesty.
• Associate yourself with men and women of good quality if you esteem your reputation, for it is better to be alone, then in bad company.
• Don’t point.
• Keep your promises.
• The only things that evolve on their own in any organization are disorder, friction, and nonperformance.
• Morale is really only faith in the man at the top.
• No great invention was ever made without true exercise of imagination.
• All bleeding stops . . . eventually.