Rules For Life
By Brian Dean
(Published in the December 2015 issue of Natural Awakenings)

I was having trouble sleeping one night as I was hearing words and phrases. Finally, I gave in, got up (at 2am) and put this down.

1. Define your goals.
2. Find something to do to reach them. (If you like what you do, the journey will be pleasant.)
3. Don’t piss on yourself or others to get there. (The liquid will dry, but the stain will last forever.)
4. Be honest. It’s a lot easier to remember the truth than what lies you have told to whom.
5. Treat others fairly. While they may or may not do the same to you, it sets a pattern they will respect, and consistency is easier to stay with.
6. When confusion sets in, turn around several times until you find balance. Then you will know you are in the right place.
7. If you find yourself in a whirlwind, breathe deeply until you calm enough to step outside of it. (We only see the truth from outside of the chaos. Once the truth is realized, we can step back in and settle things properly.)
8. Life can be lived with a flourish or a whisper. You can boldly lead from the front, or quietly guide from the back. Decide which mark you want to leave and how you want to be remembered.
9. As you move toward your goals, help others move toward theirs. The “Wind Beneath My Wings” analogy where one person is the support for another is one sided. Support those that support you as one brick supports another. Only then can something worthwhile be built.
10. Be the change you want to see in others. Don’t force them to change. Let them make their own decisions. Lead by example. Allow them to get it, or not. Anything being built needs the right support, otherwise it will only fall down. If someone is not the right support, allow them to move on. Others that are right will be attracted to you.
11. When you fall down, get back up. Otherwise someone will trip over you on the way to their goals (ask anyone that has large dogs).
12. Be positive. Being negative brings you what you don’t want. Being positive keeps you moving forward.
13. When all seems hopeless, this is the time to hope, and then have faith.
14. Believe in yourself. If you want others to believe in you, you must show them that you are worth believing in. The only way to do that is to show them by example.
15. Change starts from within, and then moves outward. To change big things, you must first change small things. Those small things will band together and become big things.
16. And finally, remember that any answer is available to you. It may be 42, and need clarification, but it will be available. Use your strength from within, reach out your energies into the ether, and let the answer be supplied. Basically, use the Force. In doing so, you open yourself to a wealth of possibilities, and there are always possibilities.