Standing the Test of Time

Every culture has their own collection of wise old sayings and proverbs that offer common sense advice. I have heard them my entire life from my parents, who learned them from their parents, and so on back through the generations. If you talk to my children, they will tell you that they have learned them from me.

As I pondered this topic, I started a list of all of the ones I heard when I was growing up. When I thought about their meaning it was clear why they have survived over the years; they offer some good advice for everyday living.

Below is a list of some old adages, with their meanings, that have been a part of my life.  They have come to mind often as I have faced different situations. I've also thrown in a few that are new to me, but are wise advice.

• The early bird catches the worm - Get to it early before it's too late.
• If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all - keep your negative thoughts and criticism to yourself.
• Don't bite off more than you can chew - don't take on a task that you can't handle.
• Don't look a gift horse in the mouth - don't question the value of a gift.
• You reap what you sow - you eventually have to face up to the consequences of your actions.
• Don't judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes - don't judge someone because you don't know what they have been through.
• If it doesn't feel right it probably isn't - listen to your gut and your conscience.
• The calm before the storm - a time of unusual tranquility that is followed by difficult times.
• Discretion is the greater part of valor - it's good to be brave, but also good to be careful.
• God helps those who help themselves - God helps those who are willing to put out the effort to try.
• An ounce of experience is worth a pound of theory - common sense will help you solve problems more than theory.
• Kill them with kindness - when someone is causing you trouble don't show that it's bothering you, put on a smile and pile on the kindness.
• Strike while the iron is hot - make use of an opportunity immediately.
• Keep your nose to the grindstone - keep busy with work and concentrate on the task at hand.
• Two wrongs don't make a right - the fact that someone has done something unjust or dishonest does not justify acting in the same way.
• The pen is mightier than the sword - writing is more effective than military power or violence.
• When in Rome, do as the Romans - when visiting a foreign land, or in an unfamiliar situation, follow the lead of those who know the ropes.
• The squeaky wheel gets the grease - the most noticeable (or loudest) are the ones most likely to get the attention.
• When the going gets tough the tough get going - when things become difficult, the people with strong character become more determined.
• People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones - don't criticize others for something you have done yourself. 
• Keep your friends close and your enemies closer - keep your friends close because they will help you, but you should watch your enemies even closer so you know what they are up to.
• A picture is worth a thousand words - a single picture can convey much more than a description.
• If you want something done right, do it yourself - if you want something done exactly the way you like it then you have to do it yourself.
• Take care of the minuets and the hours will take care of themselves - if you have a long term goal, make plans and stick to them.
• Talk less and say more - don't talk just for the sake of talking.
• Wishing isn't doing - wishing for something will not make it happen.
• Red sky at night sailor's delight, red sky in the morning sailors take warning - if the sky is red at night then the next day will be nice, if the sky is red in the morning it speaks of a storm ahead.
• He who feels the benefit should feel the burden - if you are going to benefit from it then you should have to bear the burden of getting there.
• you can't keep trouble from coming, but you don't have to give it a chair to sit in - trouble in life is inevitable, but you don't have to welcome it into your life.
• Knowledge and timber shouldn't be used until they are seasoned - Oliver Wendell Holmes - Be sure of your knowledge before you speak, and as we all know seasoned wood burns better.

This is just a small collection of the wise old sayings from the past. I'm sure that you have your own list that you have learned from. They have stood the test of time because they are common sense advice for everyday living. Seems that much of that common sense is missing today; perhaps we need to share these so children can bring them into the future.