24 May Rules For a Good Life
This morning I read an article titled “50 Rules for a Good Life”.
Below are a few of my favorites from that list – but truth be told, all the rules are good. While my current situation has me reflecting on many life decisions, I am facing the fact that my future (less than three weeks from now) situation will leave even more time for reflection. But there will also be a lot more decisions to be made. Day in and day out – whether I am interacting with fellow inmates, staff, or myself. I have to start planning now for success in the future. Below are some of my favorites from the list of 50.
Own the morning – I love this one. The morning sets the tone for your whole day. Get up early, be well-rested, head into the day with a plan and goals. Be on a path that you can’t be derailed from. I’ve tried both ways, and owning the morning versus letting it own you is the superior option. I woke up early today and started tackling a list I made last night, and I can already tell this is setting me on a good path for today.
Two ears, one mouth for a reason – it is better to listen too much than speak too much. If you’re afraid you won’t get your thoughts out, why not simply wait until later? Once you’ve said something, anything, it cannot be undone. A wise man once said nothing – that’s one of my favorite quotes.
Define what success means to you – I’m still working on this. However, I work on this every day, and I am making progress. What is success? Such a vague but also profound question. To me, success is a journey, not just a destination. How do I want to travel the road that is the rest of my life, and what metrics am I tracking to make sure I am on the right path during the trip.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help – I learned this the hard way – more opinions, more insight, more sharing. I did not perform enough research, and I did not ask for enough help with my legal troubles. In particular (and this one I cannot stress enough), seek out opinions of those you disagree with and attempt to understand where those people are coming from with the ideas they share. You’ll learn more that way. I had an attorney recently tell me he loses many clients because he doesn’t tell them what they want to hear. Sometimes reality doesn’t match your idyllic version of the future – that doesn’t mean it’s not your reality.
Find a way to love everything that happens – Even Prison? C’mon! Ugh, The irony here is too much. I am not excited about it. However, I can go through this and make the most of it, or go through it and come out with nothing to show – I know what choice I am making. More time to reflect, read, grow, learn and come out mentally and emotionally strong.
Make a little progress each day – when your whole world gets turned upside down and ripped away from you, you want it back. But that can’t happen in the time frame most of us would like. However, a little progress, day by day, can get you there. Bit by bit. Drop by drop. Each positive act followed by the next.
Don’t make your problems worse by bemoaning them – It took me a while to learn this, and I’m getting much better. Bemoaning your situation doesn’t help. It doesn’t help you now, and it won’t help you in the future.
Those are a few of my favorites. I am including the link to the original article here. Try to choose a few for yourself; live them, embody them, and be grateful for what you have.