Personal Commandments

Not one, but two people have suggested I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I'm very interested, but I have to get through The Only Investment Guide You'll EVER Need (my work related read) and the remainder of the Hunger Games trilogy.

In the meantime, I am reading her blog. A recent post about defining your own personal commandments got me thinking about mine. Being a person who knows who I am and what I like has served me well in life. I've got a nice good foundation to grow and build upon. The older I get, the more I realize that's not true for everyone.

This list could be refined, but off the top of my head are some I live by:

• It's their issue, not mine (translation don't be offended or take on the emotional baggage of those who are shitheads or any other word for people who are hateful, spiteful, mean spirited and generally awful to others)
• There's no free lunch (my dad, via Milton Friedman)
• Don't covet or wish for anyone else's life; all situations are not created equal (my dad, again)
• If you love it, it works
• Try things once; if it doesn't feel right, you don't have to do it again.
• Be where you are/bloom where you're planted
• Get up and move; just do it
• Show love any way it feels right
• Identify the need or problem and fix it

This year I've been working on four ways I want to live my life: choose quality, smile at everyone, make jokes or conversation with strangers, be more open and available emotionally to family and friends. Always learning and changing, right?