Life can be overly complicated sometimes. Or perhaps we just make it that way.  Sometimes it helps to go back to that old fashioned advice.  You know what I am referring to.  Those sayings that sound simple, but are packed with wisdom.  Consider some of the following pearls to keep your life on the right track:

“The early bird catches the worm.” Ugh.  What an awful image!  But the point is a good one.  People who get up early tend to be more successful.  It takes discipline to get up early every day and go to work or run a household.  And if you are disciplined in one area of your life, you typically will be disciplined in other areas of your life, as well.  So if you are an early bird, you’ll be the employee who gets the job done on time.  Your house will be the loveliest on your street.  And your children will go to school each day properly groomed and well-cared for.

“A place for everything, and everything in its place.” A home in which everything has a place is peaceful.  It is a refuge where you can relax and have a break from your cares.  You can’t relax if your home is a clutter-filled mess.  You’ll notice that mentally together people tend to have well-organized homes.  Whereas, mentally scattered people tend to have homes that are messy and disorganized.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I am a big believer in preventing problems before they occur.  This holds true in all areas of our lives.  How many marriages end in divorce because spouses don’t prevent problems?  They only begin to make an effort when it is too late to mend the relationship.  This adage is equally true with regard to our health.  By not overeating, smoking and drinking alcohol, we can prevent numerous illnesses.  For example, giving up sugary sodas and candy today may be a little uncomfortable, but it is a lot easier than trying to lose 10 to 20 pounds one year from now.

“When one door shuts, another opens.” Realize that when you lose something, whether it be an opportunity or a relationship, something else always will come along to fill its place.  And generally, if you are kind and patient, whatever comes along will be far better than anything you could have ever imagined.  Have faith that when one door shuts, it is because you are destined for something far better.

“All truths are not to be told.” I’m not a big fan of the truth, largely because it is hard to define what truth is.  We all have a very different experience of life, so what is true for me, may not be true for you.  I value encouraging people over the truth.  I believe in building people up at every opportunity.   It is so important to draw out the talents and gifts of others, even if those gifts are not readily apparent.  For instance, a little girl may not be a good piano player today.  But if you tell her “the truth” of that, she will never play the piano well.  What you don’t know, is that she may have the seeds of a great pianist inside her.  Those seeds simply need to be nourished and encouraged.  So what is the point of being truthful with the little girl?  The truth does not always make things better.  Very often it is just a way to hurt other people.  The key is to only speak the truth when it is coupled with wisdom.

“Give credit where credit is due.” We are a society that is stingy with praise.  No one wants to give credit for a job well done.  If you want to know why your personal relationships aren’t working, think about the last time that you paid someone a compliment.  If it has been more than 24 hours, you probably have relationship problems, and you most assuredly have a “praise problem.”  We should be constantly giving credit to others and building each other up.  Think about the dynamic in your home.  Does everyone in your family build each other up?  Or is it your family’s dynamic to criticize, tease and undermine confidence?  Many families do this, and the excuse is that it is “all in good fun.”  Or the excuse from parents is that “that is the way siblings interact.”  How utterly sad.  Make sure that your home is one in which everyone is encouraged.  Make sure every family member leaves the house each morning feeling confident to face the world.

I love old sayings. So often we say them without thinking about the meaning behind them.  But if we thought about them and applied them to our daily lives, how much easier our lives would be.