When I turned 45, I lay in bed reflecting on all life had taught me. My soul sprang a leak and ideas flowed out. My pen simply caught them and set the words on paper. I typed them up and turned them into a newspaper column of the 45 lessons life taught me. When I hit 50, I added five more lessons and the paper ran the column again.

A book store is a treasure chest. Every time you walk in one, you strike gold.

No one really has a bad life. Not even a bad day. Just bad moments.

If we threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

Baking happens with ingredients that last for months and come to life inside a warm oven. Baking is slow and leisurely.

You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Choice, not chance, determines your destiny. It's up to you to decide what you are worth, how you matter, and how you make meaning in the world. No one else has your gifts--your set of talents, ideas, interests. You are an original. A masterpiece.