2. A great handshake and an honest smile are free, and shine as brightly as any résumé.
3. Most of the time, people are doing the best that they can. Try to believe it.
4. Use sunscreen, but not just on your face. Remember the back of your neck and, above all, your hands!
5. There are no people so far beneath you that you can't learn something from them, or so far above you that you need permission to communicate with them.
6. Don't wait for someone else to hold you to account. Do it yourself.
7. Respect others' beliefs, but don't back off on your own.
8. Your gut is always, always right. Listen quietly to your
intuition, and you'll see that you already know everything you need to know.
9. Take care of your feet. Buy the best shoes you can, if not the most expensive. Go for pedicures, as a couple. Oldie moldies won't take you far.
10. Follow your passion. You'll never "work" a day in your life.
11. Make empathy the default response.
12. Even if someone's mad at you, it does not mean you've done something wrong.
13. You'll never regret eating
blueberries or working up a sweat.
14. Strive to keep half your promises.
15. Treat yourself well. Other people will, too.
16. When you say something you think is smart, don't sniff. It telegraphs conceit.
17. Nothing ever got worse from talking about it. Just pick the right person to talk to.
18. The smaller the thing you can find to be grateful for — from good coffee to soft socks — the happier you will be.
Jacquelyn Mitchard, the best-selling author of 20 books, lives near Madison, Wis., with her family.