Every 60-70 submissions, I plan to do a compilation post based on what I think are some of the most compelling, unique, and thought-provoking rules across all submissions. This is the first installment.
It is not an easy exercise, as every rule in every submission carries great value. But these stand out for reasons I cannot fully explain.
Enjoy!
Check your ego at the door.
Self-confidence is wonderful, but having a big ego and letting it dictate your day-to-day actions is disastrous. We are all equal, and we all have times in our life that are great and times that are not so great. Treat others with respect and be humble. If you observe enough people you will find that the majority of time the ones who are flashy, loud, and egotistical are "all talk and no substance". Successful people let their actions and their experience speak for them.
- Dana Carver; read Dana's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Embrace change.
Change is the one thing you can be sure of. Every moment is new and unique, and this is what makes life so wonderful – there is always something else to experience. Why cling to the past when there is so much still ahead of us? In truth, we have no choice but to dive into the ever changing current of life, and resisting it only causes pain.
- Mark Harrison; read Michael's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Don’t judge your insides by other people's outsides.
This is a wonderful rule I picked up from some Al-Anon friends. In our appearance-based and “keep up with the Jones” society, this is such a simple expression of what we should do. Just because you think your neighbor has it all - or your friend has everything and appears perfect - just remember you really have no idea what is going on in their world or inside of them. Things are rarely what they seem on the surface, so to compare your inner-most self to some external reflection of something you see is only going to lead to frustration and disappointment.
- Michael Pelham; read Michael's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Never let yesterday consume today.
Too many of us stress and worry about things in the past. I say live in the now and go with the flow. Learn from your mistakes but do not let them consume you; if you do, it will ultimately cause more mistakes and problems in your life. Life is a journey, not a test. Do what I call K.O.K.O...Keep On Keepin' On!
- Christopher Williams; read Christopher's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Consider the world as a whole.
Once you start seeing the entire world as a living, breathing system, it's easier to do your part to help out and consider your fellow man. If you only see your neighborhood, you are missing out on the big picture.
- David Quilty; read David's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Get a dog.
A dog loves you unconditionally. A dog thinks you are the greatest, coolest, smartest, most successful person in the world. Get a dog and work hard to live up to its expectations.
- Brian Johnson; read Brian's "Five Rules For Life" here.
It is what you do when no one is around that matters.
This is one of the most important things to remember. Whether you are on a business trip, with family, in school, at work, or play. What you do when no one is around creates a sense of character, pride, accomplishment, and ultimately satisfaction.
- Ron Calzolari; read Ron's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Laugh more often.
Science has proven that laughing helps heal and can help with pain management. I don’t need science to tell me that, I’ve lived it. When in pain, it’s nice to hear a good joke, watch a good sitcom (Seinfeld is the best medicine!), or enjoy a laugh with friends. It relaxes the muscles and sends good feelings through the body. If you don’t believe me, try it next time you feel down or in pain; change the channel to the Comedy network, read a funny book, or find good jokes online. Believe me, you will start feeling better quickly.
- Joy Andre; read Joy's "Five Rules For Life" here.
You can't choose who you are, but you can choose how to be who you are.
Taken from one of my books. You're given gifts, talents, and abilities. You may also pick up some sludge along the way. This is all part of life. You may feel afraid of who you are, you might not like how you look. Learn to love the person you are in this life and celebrate it. There is only one person you can be, so you might as well be that person to the best of your ability.
- Dr. Isabel Joely Black; read Isabel's "Five Rules For Life" here.
You really can't take it with you.
A co-worker of mine said that he's never seen a U-Haul trailer behind a hearse. Enjoy what you have, use it in good health, and don't fret that scratch in the paint. You won't care if the next owner takes good care of it or not after you're gone!
- Lou Tauber; read Lou's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Get out and enjoy the day.
Get outside - walk, run, bike, take the kids (or dog) to the park, put something on the grill; do anything that involves you being outside the confines of a house, office, car, et cetera. Put your feet in the grass with the sky above you. Whether it be hot, cold, raining or snowing (within reason of course) - your body needs a daily dose so get to the great outdoors. Find a good place to get away.
- Mike Mills; read Mike's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Don't allow yourself to be chained by possessions.
The world is filled with stuff. Don't let it get in the way of what is really important to you. When you become chained to stuff, you are no longer leading your life. If you had to give up 90% of your possessions tomorrow to pursue your dream, could you do it effortlessly? If you hesitated, your ability to lead your own life has been weakened by your attachment and attainment of things.
- Toni Leathers; read Toni's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Never go to bed angry.
Have it out. Whether it be with your spouse, your peer, your boss, whomever - be polite, but don't let it weigh you down while you sleep.
- Jason Judd; read Jason's "Five Rules For Life" here.
You are what you think.
If you are a negative person fostering constant, negative thoughts you create a negative environment. Negative things happen in a negative environment, thus you will be inundated with negative events in your life. You will call it "bad luck", but it is actually the situation you created for yourself.
The good news is, you can change it right now. If you are a positive person fostering constant, positive thoughts you create a positive environment. Positive things happen in a positive environment, thus you will be inundated with positive events in your life. You will call it "good luck", but it is actually the situation you created for yourself.
- David Blank; read David's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Buy a kayak.
There really is nothing more mentally therapeutic or physically healthy than buying and rowing a kayak. After the initial purchase, it is completely free – just add water. I tell people regularly that I could pay $125 an hour to a psychiatrist to keep me emotionally balanced or I can just skim across a local lake or river in my kayak for an hour, and the result is the same.
- Pastor John Durham; read John's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Think big.
We are capable of far greater accomplishments than we realize. Had I known as a much younger man what I could have been or accomplished in this lifetime, I would have worked even harder and dreamed even bigger. Shoot for the stars, if you fall short you'll still finish beyond your wildest expectations!
- Barry Sigismondi; read Barry's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Meditate.
Meditating means different things to different people. To me it means teaching your mind to slow down and focus. You will be amazed at how much better you perform in all aspects of your life when you learn to focus your mind and eliminate all the racing thoughts and worthless chatter that currently take up most of your brainpower.
- Trader-X; read Trader-X's "Five Rules For Life" here.
Be humble.
We all have high points and low points, or periods of success and periods of failure. During those high points, remember to be humble because life moves in cycles. It will be much easier to weather the low points if you are not a complete jerk when you are on top. And other people are more likely to help and respect you if you carry yourself with consistency no matter what the situation.
- Jon Andre; read my "Five Rules For Life" here.
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