Rules >

These are my life rules.

  1. Take care of yourself. Do the things that make you feel better, even if they’re a pain.
  2. People and relationships are what you’re after, not that other thing.
  3. “People and relationships” can be reduced to to spirituality and its essence.
  4. “Being religious” is the “take care of yourself” part of being spiritual. That’s why people hate being religious. Do your best and don’t fear becoming a hypocrite.
  5. Hypocrisy is about a 30-second journey away for most everybody. But it’s not the only stop on the route.
  6. Don’t approach religion from a leadership standpoint. Do the opposite.
  7. Yes, you’ll probably end up doing it / owning it / being it. But “it” will be so much different when you get there.
  8. Experience can come fast. Don’t leave people behind. Explain things that you have experienced. Being a teacher is rewarding because it is part of being a spiritual person.
  9. Share what you learn. It does no good being shut up. Even share with people who are keeping their own cards close (most of the time they are making a mistake).
  10. Say you’re sorry. Say you were wrong and you’re sorry. Say you were wrong, you’re sorry, and you’re already doing better.
  11. Look forward to your future.
  12. Don’t be embarrassed that you’ve already begun writing your life story. You’re bald; you get to do stuff like that now.
  13. Turn off work after work hours.
  14. Turn off gadgets after stress hours.
  15. That person you’ve felt like calling on the phone for the last month probably wants to talk to you, too.
  16. Reward yourself after a particularly hard meeting or project. Plan the reward out ahead of time. This can cut stress levels in half.
  17. It’s better to save up & buy quality in most cases. Remember Sturgeon’s Law.
  18. It’s better to produce quality work, even if you have to charge more for it. As Philip Crosby said, “quality is free.”
  19. Move forward with your own goals. This is another way to eliminate stress.
  20. Hearken; the gut speaketh. Your gut is correct so often that it should really be writing these rules.
  21. Before you compare yourself to someone else, write them a short note and tell them you find their work astonishing, then wish them well. That’s usually the point at which you find out they’re overwhelmed with life and suffering from the recent loss of a cat/friend/house.
  22. No, it’s not the 17th, 18th, or 19th century, and you’re not a country doctor or gentleman spy. Deal with it.
By Marc Carson, Friday February 3, 2012.
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