Humans love shooting stuff. Whether it’s pictures, hoops, alcohol or animals, taking shots is one of our favourite pastimes. We’ve been playing, peering, drinking and hunting our way out of the last century and into this new millennium with a fervour that is most likely unmatched by previous generations.

But where, exactly, are all of these shots taking us? Could it be that we’ve had quite our fill of certain things while we remain terribly, unknowingly parched of others? Could it be that we may just be in need of something with a little novelty, a little edginess, a little insight to put things back in perspective?

Look, we’re not trying to be party poopers here. We’re not trying to say that any of the above is bad, needs to be stopped or changed, or even slowed down. People are going to do what they’re going to do, and there’s no point in going around trying to tell them otherwise. But what about those of us who may be looking for something with a bit of a different taste? Something with that certain spirit we know is missing, but can’t quite put our finger on?

Well, today we bring you just that thing. Or things, should we say. 28 of them to be exact. Some pure, undiluted wisdom straight from the honey bee’s hive.

This list, a long-popular online anecdote, is an excerpt from “Life’s Little Instruction Book: 511 Suggestions, Observations, and Reminders on How to Live a Happy and Rewarding Life“ by H. Jackson Brown Junior, the same fellow responsible for the extremely popular and continuously misattributed 18 rules of living by the dalai lama.

Take your time and savour the goodness, folks, because in terms of short, easily digestible, yet deeply truthful one-liners, it’s hard to get any better than this.

~ 28 Shots of Pure Wisdom ~

Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.

Don’t allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It’s there for your convenience, not the callers.

Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.

Don’t burn bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.

Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

Don’t major in minor things.

Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Helen Keller, Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.

Don’t spread yourself too thin. Learn to say no politely and quickly.

Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.

Don’t waste time grieving over past mistakes. Learn from them and move on.

Every person needs to have their moment in the sun, when they raise their arms in victory, knowing that on this day, at his hour, they were at their very best.

Get your priorities straight. No one ever said on his death bed, ‘Gee, if I’d only spent more time at the office’.

Give people a second chance, but not a third.

Judge your success by the degree that you’re enjoying peace, health and love.

Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.

Leave everything a little better than you found it.

Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.

Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life and death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.

Never cut what can be untied.

Never overestimate your power to change others. Never underestimate your power to change yourself.

Remember that overnight success usually takes about fifteen years.

Remember that winners do what losers don’t want to do.

Seek opportunity, not security. A boat in harbor is safe, but in time its bottom will rot out.

Spend less time worrying who’s right, more time deciding what’s right.

Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get.

The importance of winning is not what we get from it, but what we become because of it.

When facing a difficult task, act as though it’s impossible to fail.