Submitted by Kristine Fetalco

kristine fetalco is a recent college graduate and freelance writer. she tries to be productive as possible in the midst of a full-time job search by managing several different activities and projects. she blogs at supermyro.com/blog and keeps a gratitude journal at lifemimosa.com.

Here are Kristine's "Five Rules For Life":

1.) Be fearless.
Fear pushes us back to a comfortable place where we never grow. To grow you must do things which you think you cannot do. It is a process, but you begin by quieting hesitations and just taking the first step. To become fearless, you must know how to conquer fear: love and trust yourself. When you love and trust yourself, being rejected is not as difficult and uncertainty is not as scary because you respect yourself enough that you can go through anything. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that you accept yourself and there's no need to wait for anyone's validation. There is nothing else to fear.

2.) Express gratitude.
Here's the secret that gives life meaning: look at things through the lens of gratitude. From now on, be thankful for every single thing in your life. Not just for what you have, but also how you are able to enjoy what you have-- you see the beautiful things outside because of your healthy eyes and sound mind. You get to enjoy a new pair of running shoes because you have two strong legs that help you run, etc.



3.) Place more importance on what you have done rather than what happened to you.
You have no control over how tall you are nor what kind of looks you were born with. These things just happen to people. Give more importance to what you have attained through choice rather than what happened to you through circumstance. Obtaining an award for demonstrating your skills beats winning an award for being the best dressed girl/guy.

4.) Tell stories.
Stories are what connect us to others, and it is how others can relate to us. You open yourself up through stories - it may be scary, but you start seeing others open up to you too. People understand you more when you tell stories. This builds relationships. Everyone has a story, no matter where you're from or who you are. Every story is interesting. Stories make life bearable.

5.) Manage your time well.
Each of us is given the same amount of hours - whether you're rich or poor, American or from abroad. Time is the greatest equalizer. You are put into this world and given 24 hours a day. How do you spend it? In a lifetime, with 24 hours a day, some people have saved lives and changed the world. Ask yourself what you do with your time that makes you deserve it.

Kristine currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

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