Rules of Life by Richard Templar Part I: Rules for you

1. Keep it under your hat, dont preach, propagate or even mention this 2. Youll get older but not necessarily wiser; wisdom isnt about not making mistakes but

about learning to escape afterward with our dignity and sanity intact 3. Accept What is done is done and you need to just get on with things 4. Accept yourself. You dont have to improve or change or strive for perfection. Quite the

opposite. Just accept. 5. Know what counts and what doesnt. There are some things in this life that is important

and a whole lot of things that arent 6. Dedicate your life to something. A yardstick to measure How and what I am doing and

where I am going 7. Be flexible in your thinking. Try not to see life as an enemy, but as a friendly sparring

partner 8. Taking an interest in the outside world is about developing you, rather than for the

worlds benefit 9. Be on the side of the angels, not the beasts 10. Only dead fish swim with the stream. Life is meant to be a series of struggles and lulls 11. Be the last to raise your voice 12. Be your own adviser, intuition. 13. No fear, no surprise, not hesitation, no doubt 14. I wish Id done that, and I will. The world is divided into those who look at others

enviously and those who look at others as a motivational tool 15. Count to 10, youll get an appropriate response 16. Change what you can change, let go of the rest. Dedicate yourself personally to things

you can change, areas where you can make a difference. 17. Aim to be the very best at everything you do, not the second best. Failing is fine. Aiming

for the second best isnt. 18. Dont be afraid to dream 19. Dont dwell on the past. Live here, live now. Live in this moment. 20. Dont live in the future. Dreams are great but reality is fine too 21. Get on with life, its whooshing past. You have to give it a bit of thought if you want to

get the best out of it 22. Dress like today is important. People will react differently to you if you dress as if it

matters. 23. Have a belief system. You dont have to prove it to anyone else, justify it, even show it 24. Leave a little space for yourself each day, where you do absolutely nothing 25. Have a plan, or it will always remain a dream 26. Have a sense of humor 27. Choose how you make your bed. Do the right thing every time, you know what it is 28. Life can be a bit like advertising, youll never know from which bits of effort comes the

best reward. 29. Get used to stepping outside your comfort zone. Expanding your comfort zone makes you

feel good about yourself.

30. Learn to ask questions 31. Have dignity. Its about showing self-respect and having quiet self-esteem 32. Its ok to feel big emotions 33. Keep the faith 34. Youll never understand everything. 35. Know where true happiness comes from, its right in yourself 36. Know when to let go, when to walk away. 37. Look after yourself 38. Maintain good manners in all things 39. Prune your stuff frequently 40. Remember to touch the base 41. Draw the lines around yourself 42. Shop for quality, not price 43. Its okay to worry, or to know how not to 44. Staying young is trying out new tastes, new places to go, new styles 45. Throwing money at a problem doesnt always work 46. Think for yourself 47. You are not in charge 48. Have something in your life that takes you out of yourself 49. Only the good feel guilty 50. If you cant say anything nice, dont say anything at all

Part II: Partnership rules

1. Accept the differences; embrace what you have in common 2. Allow your partner the space to be themselves 3. Be nice, go back to square one and start being courteous again 4. You have to be prepared for them to be independent, strong , out in the world separate

from you 5. Be the first to say sorry 6. Go that extra step in trying to please them 7. Always have someone or something that is pleased to see you 8. Know when to listen and when to act 9. Have a passion for your life together 10. Make sure your lovemaking is making love 11. Keep talking, it helps us understand, listen, share and communicate 12. Respect privacy 13. Check you both have the same shared goals 14. Treat your partner better than your best friend 15. Contentment is a high aim 16. You dont both have to have the same rules

Part III: Family and friends rules

1. If you are going to be a friend, be a good friend. The most important bit is being there, not just for the good times

2. Never be too busy for loved ones 3. Let your kids mess up for themselves they dont need any help from you. You cant

steer them right all the time or theyd never learn for themselves 4. Have a little respect and forgiveness for your parents 5. Give your kids a break 6. Never lend money unless youre prepared to write it off 7. There are no bad children 8. Be up around people you love 9. Give your kids responsibility 10. Your children need to rebel to leave home 11. Your kids will have friends you dont like 12. Your role as a kid, you have a duty to be courteous, thoughtful and cooperative toward

your parents 13. Your role as a parent, supportive, encouraging, kind, patient, educational, loyal, honest,

caring, loving

Part IV: Social rules

1. Were all closer than you think. The difference between us is so very little when you wipe away the veneer we all wear

2. It doesnt hurt to forgive 3. It doesnt hurt to be helpful 4. Take pride in what we do collectively 5. Whats in it for them 6. Hang out with positive people 7. Be generous with your time and information 8. Get involved 9. Keep the moral high ground. It tastes a lot better than revenge 10. Have a plan for your career 11. Learn to see your community as part of a bigger picture 12. Look at the long-term ramifications of what you do for a living 13. Be good at your job

Part V: World rules

1. Be aware of the damage you are doing 2. Be for the glory, not the degradation 3. Be part of the solution, not the problem 4. Check what history would say about you 5. Keep your eyes open at all times 6. Not everything can be green 7. Put something back 8. Find a new rule everyday or occasionally at least