The Basic Rules of Life - PART ONE

The Rules - Part 1.

Do the “right thing”.
When making a decision, ask yourself, “Is this the right thing to do?” If the answer is based on good moral values such as honesty, integrity, truthfulness, fairness and other virtues then you will be miles ahead of most of the world.

Seek approval of yourself.
If anyone must approve of what you do and who you are, it is yourself. If you do the “right things” in life, you will be able to look yourself in the mirror and approve at who you are looking.

Don’t seek the hugs of strangers.
The hugs of strangers do not last and don’t matter. Seek out the hugs, compassion and approval of those who count, such as family and real close friends. The applause of the crowd fades as soon as you go home. Some people may like you and some may not. You must try your best to not let the fact that some folks don’t care for your presence in their lives bother you.

Don’t sweat the small stuff.
And most of it is small stuff. Worry about the big issues that affect your life. If you sweat every minor detail about your life, you may miss your children’s first steps, a smile from your spouse or a good sunset …you know, important stuff.

Don’t worry.
Don’t worry about things in which you have no control. It is a waste of time and causes heart attacks, strokes and killer headaches. If you have no control over a situation, it does little good to worry about it. Concern is appropriate, because you may find a time, place and opportunity to act on an issue that has been previously beyond your control. But until then, you may as well worry about unchangeable things such as the sky is blue, the moon changes shape and politicians are corrupt.

Tell the truth.
Telling the truth is vital. Even if you have really screwed up or in a situation that you dislike greatly or forgotten to pick up milk on the way home, the truth is important. Be honorable and own up to the mistake. If you tell the truth, you won’t need to have a good memory to cover the lies. After getting caught in about three lies, no one will believe you ever again…they will always doubt you from that point on. There is only one situation in which the total truth may not be wise. If your wife asks you, “Honey, do I look fat in this dress?” always, always tell her that she looks fine. Kingdoms have fallen and men have lost their lives for being too truthful in this question.

Women are different.
Okay, let’s get one thing very clear. Women are different than men. They process information differently have different skill levels in many areas and are generally physically smaller than men. That is not to say they are inferior to men. In fact, I have a great deal of information and experience which has shown to me that they are better than men in most respects. They live longer and their plumbing is more efficient. Plus they are much better looking than men are, even in the morning before a shower.