"Five Rules For Life" is a great site that contains input from a diverse group of people. It is interesting and insightful to read what everyone has to say when it comes to the most important rules for living. We compiled five of our own, and they were published on the site over the weekend:
1.) Everything is temporary.
This is all about perspective, and recognizing that nothing is really permanent. What you fear or worry about today might not matter next week, probably won't matter in six months, and most definitely won't matter in three years.
The only thing that is consistent is change. So as you go through the daily grind, stress starts weighing you down, and you feel yourself becoming negative and hopeless, just remember that it is only temporary and things will change soon.
If it helps, try to remember what you were stressed out about at this time last year. If you can remember, you will probably see that it was not as important or critical as you made it out to be.
2.) Schedule "non-work" first.
Most of us plan our day the same way - by listing all the "critical" tasks we have to do first. It can be overwhelming and sets the tone for a stressed outlook. Instead of doing that, try this: plan everything else first. Pencil in eight hours of sleep, lunch with a friend, time to read your book, dinner and a walk with your significant other. Then, and only then, put in the work tasks. You will view your day in a whole new light.
3.) Relax.
Stop. Breathe. Look. Listen. See the birds, hear the water, listen to a dog bark, smell the air. Watch your cat. Close your eyes and picture yourself in a serene location - on a beach, by a stream, on a mountain. No matter how busy your day is, you can find a couple of minutes to do this every few hours.
4.) Learn to recognize your thoughts.
Your mind is always going. The problem is, you have become so detached from it you don't realize what it is doing. Become conscious of your thoughts, and you will discover that they may not be very appealing. Your mind tends to run wild with negativity, constantly playing out confrontational scenarios that cause stress you don't even know about. But, if you spend time "watching" your thoughts, you can recognize what is happening.
5.) Cultivate positivity.
This builds on #4 above. Recognizing the negativity in what you think and do is the first step. Replacing it with positive influences is the second step. Try the 30-day experiment - whenever you think or do something negative, immediately offset it with something positive. Read motivational books, listen to uplifting music, and minimize your time with negative people. After 30 days you will see a noticeable change in your life, and you will have developed the foundation for a new, empowering habit.
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