There's no place like home.

Old familiar haunts are easier to relax in as your brain has already sussed them out and feels secure - less chance of something nasty lurking about. Your home should be a safe and secure refuge from the stresses and perils of the world - a bolt hole, a den, a personal castle. Here you can put your feet up, relax and recharge your batteries ready for another exciting day in the great outside.

First impressions count.

Firsts and lasts tend to stick in the memory hence the advice to make a good first impression. Job interviews, dates, first day at a new place is the time to be prepared and put your best foot forward. It is also the time when you are most likely to be nervous but with a "little forethought you can save much afterthought". But if it does go wrong don't be too worried, "to err is human, to forgive divine".

Handsome is as handsome does.

You might be the best looking person around but if you are a jerk people will soon find you out and see that you are less than perfect inside. The plainer person who proves themselves a good and reliable friend becomes beautiful in the totality. This is a warning against being taken in by appearances rather than looking for character.

Put your best foot forward.

It can be tempting to give less than your best effort because we all have an inbuilt tendency to conserve our energy. It is very easy to get into lazy and slovenly ways but we never know when someone potentially beneficial to our lives might come by and judge us on what they see. So it is best to keep your standards as high as you reasonably can, though common sense tells us that stressing yourself excessively and worrying all the time about performance could ultimately be counterproductive.

Count to ten.

If you wish to avoid unnecessary rows it is recommended you count to ten before replying to a provocative remark. This gives you time to think and check any natural impulse to retaliate that might just escalate into a major confrontation. By calmly walking away your opponent can be left looking foolish.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

A dark depression descends on your life, despair, gloom, misery fills your horizons - so where is the silver lining? you wonder. Be positive, the smart people tell us, so how do you do that when the Heavens are tumbling in on you? The first thing is to analyse your situation - is it really as bad as you think? Is their a wise friend or convenient stranger you can unburden yourself too - someone who has experienced the same problems and has come through? The marvel of the Internet is that you have the whole world to communicate with - there's bound to be someone with similar problems. So don't despair, there is always someone worse off than you and plenty of potential help. Many people's success in life resulted from a reaction to a period of adversity - fight till you drop, never give up. Sir Wiston Churchill, the inspiration for this blog, faced Britain's darkest hour with resolution and utmost determination - marching on to a shining victory. So can you.

Oppose not rage whilst rage is a its force but stay a while and let it waste.

Staying calm when others are slagging you off can be a good strategy. They are not likely to listen to reason and anything you say might provoke further irrational torrents. Save your best arguments till they have spent their energy and released their frustrations, only then will they be more amenable to quiet persuasion.

Half a loaf is better than none.

Starving people don't have to be told this. Compromise is often necessary in many life situations and it is rare to get everything you want - sometimes that is for the best. Those who always get the whole loaf might end up obese.

Patience is a virtue.

Impatience leads to rows and hasty actions that can cause accidents. Learn to stay calm in difficult situations and don't always think the worst of someone's actions - they might be having difficulties of their own and your hasty reaction could make matters worse.

Man's best friend is his dog.

No doubt many will rush to agree with this. Who else but your favorite mutt will give you a lifetime of unquestioning devotion no matter what any human thinks of you? Dogs have a natural sense of duty to the pack leader and want nothing more than to be your best friend and companion - and the occasional juicy steak.

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

How many times has someone done something to infuriate you and your reaction has simply made matters worse? The old advice of counting to ten before reacting can save you from a serious breakdown in relations. "If you give them enough rope they will hang themselves" goes another old saying indicating the wisdom sometimes of not hitting back immediately. If you do have to take defensive retaliatory action it is best done when you are calm and rational.

The early bird catches the worm.

This might literally be true but the early adopter can also be the one who is landed with the problems - there might be an angry farmer waiting with a gun. The bold rush in and sometimes carry off the prize; the cautious wait and see how the bold have faired but might lose the advantage as the price of delay - you makes your choice!

As the sapling is inclined so the tree grows.

Early influences can shape the rest of your life: good parents, healthy environment, skilful teachers will give the optimum chance for a person fulfilling their potential. Damage in youth can grow and multiply as the years go by. Parents must be like good gardeners and give their offspring the right conditions for growth and development; but we are all subject to the vagaries of Nature and no matter the good intent things can go wrong.

Great minds think alike.

If great minds are those that understand the true way of things it is logical to suppose that they will arrive at the same conclusions - there is one truth, and a multitude of mistakes for the less talented to "discover".

Manners maketh man.

Someone might look great and be accomplished but if they are boorish and ill-mannered they will not win friends and influence people. Only the super-talented and very rich can get away with it. The ordinary person is more likely to be acceptable if they have an agreeable disposition and pleasant manners.

Fortune favors the bold.

This has echoes of "who dares wins" and "faint heart never won fair lady" and is pointing out that you have to try - otherwise you will never succeed. Just be wary that you tend to hear of those who succeed but history forgets all the failures.

Lost time is rarely found again.

The trouble with time is that you can't save it up and use it when you need it. It is therefore important to use the time that you have wisely. Learn to be efficient and plan your activities so as not to waste any of this precious commodity.

The end justifies the means.

Attributed to Machiavelli the 15th century Italian statesman who advised princes on how to go about their business. It is sometimes used as an excuse for doing something wrong by pleading that the outcome will eventually be benificial.

Faint heart never won fair lady.

This can get you into trouble if you take it too literally. Girls like to be admired and pursued don't they? Just make sure the particular one you fancy is in the mood.

The pot calling the kettle black.

Originating in the days when cooking was done on an open fire that covered the utensils in soot. Used when you criticise someone for a fault when your own is as bad or worse. It is always easier to see fault in someone else whilst ignoring your own shortcomings.