Yoni's Writings

Yoni's writings (aphorisms) are legally copyrighted - if a third party wishes to use or reproduce the aphorisms, the potential user must contact the Foundation for permission.

Yoni on a bench in the flower gardenAmongst Yoni’s belongings that were found on the bus, were two pages of A4 with his handwriting. These had been started in 1999 and the latest date on them was 13 July 2001.

They are of Yoni’s thoughts on life; very brief, but incredibly insightful in one so young. He wasn’t writing them to show people, he wasn’t writing them to impress. He was writing them for himself - to live by and to think about.

  • Don’t make out that something is very obvious or people will be scared to ask questions.
  • Don’t wear your trousers to high up.
  • Don’t argue a point, even if you are sure that you are correct. Always say, ”I’ll have to check it out because you might be right”.
  • Never say ‘obviously’ or ‘of course’.
  • Sleep before a test or exam.
  • Always push yourself to go out with friends, even if you can’t be bothered – you’ll be happy in the end.
  • Do every question on the paper.
  • Always laugh when someone makes a joke.
  • Never blow your nose in front of people.
  • Never get so drunk that you are not in control.
  • Always listen when people tell you about themselves.
  • Don’t bore people with details about yourself.
  • Don’t do drugs; they seem to muck up your memory.
  • Never go into town without a few friends’ mobile numbers incase you’re stood up.
  • Always give, taking rarely makes you liked or feel good about yourself.
  • Don’t be scared to get up and dance. You’ll get the hang of it.
  • Never be scared to tell someone how you feel about them.
  • Don’t be sarcastic.
  • Never rely on anybody too much if at all.
  • Always have a reasonable sum of money easily accessible.
  • Ceilidhs – too much fun. (No one could quite work out what Yoni wrote on this one)
  • Always be prompt – never arrive late.
  • Always make an effort to look good.
  • Always do homework on the night that you get it.
  • Always buy presents at least one week in advance.
  • Never be impatient.
  • Learn from those around you.
  • When teaching, never disregard an answer curtly.
  • Always be enthusiastic.
  • Never raise your voice.
  • Don’t bore people by complaining and moaning to them about things.
  • The job always expands to fill the time at hand, so don’t be scared of assuming extra responsibilities.
  • Always call parents of new chanichim to make sure that they are settled in.
  • Always be tolerant of other people’s imperfections.
  • When you feel that you’ve got too much to do, make a list – there’s nothing like organisation to bring you back down to earth.
  • When drunk, think a bit more than usual before you act.
  • Relationships must not be based pure or mostly on the physical aspect, so if you see yourself depending too much on it... do some major thinking.
  • Be very aware of peoples’ immaturities so that when they hurt you, you don’t bear a major grudge.
  • NEVER push girls too far.
  • Always wash your shoes before packing them.
  • Don’t slag off past girlfriends/boyfriends in front of prospective ones – very offputting.
  • Forgive but do not forget, remember what was done and be on you toes when around the person.
  • Don’t play games with people; trying to think round another person can end up blowing up in your face.
  • Mental approaches to different problems and situations will vary from person to person, be VERY aware of that fact when explaining or discussing – a different approach is not necessarily wrong.
  • Focus on the blue kite. (Paul Silk)
  • If you can’t improvise then don’t even think about working with kids.
  • Go to people where they are, not where you want them to be. (Susan Simpson)
  • If you find it difficult to motivate yourself to do something useful then ask yourself the following questions: At the end of the week what will I have accomplished? Will I have watched T.V. or will I have watched my actions? Will I have changed my hairstyle or will I have changed someone’s life? Will I have shared gossip or will I have shared knowledge? Will I have spent money on kids or will I have spent time with them?
  • A person who is only concerned with himself, will wake up one morning and question his worth. A person who gives his time and effort to others will know his worth when he sees the fruits of his labour.
  • Give that compliment!
  • You can only give it if you’ve got it.
  • Always look for the good, both in people and situations.
  • There is no surer way of gaining someone’s respect and admiration than by making them feel special.
  • If you don’t do it who will?
  • Every human being is beautiful. Each has his own needs, wants, desires, passions which serve to complement and influence our experiences. This realisation not only heightens our empathy towards each other but sets each person a mission.
  • The only difference between the past and the future is that we don’t worry about anymore about the past.
  • There’s nothing wrong with being the same. It’s by being the same that we can appreciate where other people are coming from and help them most.
  • Is it the situation that needs changing or is it you?
  • Time reveals depths that we never knew existed.
  • Is it worth fighting for?
  • There’s always something to complain about so just try to be happy-although it’s important to strive for perfection, until you get there you may as well get the most out
    of life.
  • What did you do today?
  • Just because I can get away with it doesn’t mean it should be done.
  • I just open my eyes and there I am.
  • Everyone is waiting for something to happen- holiday, marriage etc. But this is as good as it gets. Will it be any different at 45 than at 25? This is as good as it gets.

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