The Rules of Life

Description

Some people seem naturally good at it. Life that is. They seem to sail through, being successful and happy and everything always seems to fall into place.

We all know a few of them - those rare people who are happy and positive and make things happen; they have a loving family, great relationships, a supportive network and work they enjoy; they generate goodwill wherever they go and always seem to know the right thing to do – and then do it. They balance their lives without us ever seeing them frantically juggling, much less let it all drop in a mess on the floor. They are happy and successful, with diverse interests and a zest for life.

How on earth do they do it?

For most of us, some of the time life can be a bit of a struggle. People are difficult, things don’t go our way, there’s too much to deal with and we don’t know how to make it all alright again. What is it that they know, that we don’t?

They know the Rules of Life.

A simple set of principles that if followed, will hugely increase your chances of more things going your way, and that will guide you smoothly out of the tricky times when they happen.

Rules of Work worked. Live the Rules of Life.

Contents

Introduction

Rules for You

1  Keep it under your hat
2  You’ll get older but not necessarily wiser
3  Accept what is done is done
4  Accept yourself
5  Know what counts and what doesn’t
6  Dedicate your life to something
7  Be flexible in your thinking
8  Take an interest in the outside world
9  Be on the side of the angels, not the beasts
10  Only dead fish swim with the stream
11  Be the last to raise your voice
12  Be your own adviser
13  No fear, no surprise, no hesitation, no doubt
14  I wish I’d done that – and I will
15  Count to ten – or recite ‘Baa baa black sheep’
16  Change what you can change, let go of the rest
17  Aim to be the very best at everything you do – not second best
18  Don’t be afraid to dream
19  Don’t dwell on the past
20  Don’t live in the future
21  Get on with life – it’s whooshing past
22  Dress like today is important
23  Have a belief system
24  Have a little space for yourself each day
25  Have a plan
26  Have a sense of humour
27  Choose how you make your bed
28  Life can be a bit like advertising
29  Get used to stepping outside your comfort zone
30  Learn to ask questions
31  Have dignity
32  It’s OK to feel big emotions
33  Keep the faith
34  You’ll never understand everything
35  Know where true happiness comes from
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 base
41  Draw the lines around yourself
42  Shop for quality, not price
43  It’s OK to worry, or to know how not to
44  Stay young
45  Throwing money at a problem doesn’t 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 can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all

Partnership Rules

51 Accept the differences, embrace what you have in common
52  Allow your partner the space to be themselves
53  Be nice
54  You want to do what?
55  Be the first to say sorry
56  Go that extra step in trying to please them
57  Always have someone – or something – that is pleased to see you

58  Know when to listen and when to act
59  Have a passion for your life together
60  Make sure your love making is making love
61  Keep talking
62 Respect privacy
63  Check you both have the same shared goals
64  Treat your partner better than your best friend
65 Contentment is a high aim
66  You don’t both have to have the same rules

Family and Friends Rules

67  If you are going to be a friend, be a good friend
68  Never be too busy for loved ones
69  Let your kids mess up for themselves – they don’t need any help from you
70  Have a little respect and forgiveness for your parents
71  Give your kids a break
72  Never lend money unless you are prepared to write it off
73  There are no bad children
74  Be up around people you love
75  Give your kids responsibilities
76  Your children need to fall out with you to leave home
77  Your kid will have friends you don’t like
78  Your role as a child
79  Your role as a parent

Social Rules

80  We’re all closer than you think
81  It doesn’t hurt to forgive
82  It doesn’t hurt to be helpful
83  Take pride in what we do collectively
84  What’s in it for them?
85  Hang out with positive people
86  Be generous with your time and information
87  Get involved
88  Keep the moral high ground
89  Have a plan for your career
90  Learn to see your community as part of a bigger picture
91  Look at the long-term ramifications of what you do for a living
92  Be good at your job

World Rules

93  Be aware of the damage you are doing
94  Be for the glory, not the degradation
95  Be part of the solution, not the problem
96  Check what history would say about you
97  Keep your eyes open at all times
98  Not everything can be green
99  Put something back
100 Find a new Rule every day – or occasionally at least

Features

• From the international bestselling author of Rules of Work and Rules of Management
• The Rules Player plays by the rules in all aspects of their life:

you

relationships

home and families

what you do with your life (work, interests, community)

the big stuff (society, environment, etc)

• Are you a Rules Player? Follow the Rules of Life - a simple set of principles - and you will instantly learn how to do less, be more and lead a healthier, happier kind of life.

Author

Richard Templar is the author of the international bestselling Rules books. Over 2 million people around the world have enjoyed and now play by Richard Templar's Rules.

The complete list of titles is as follows: Rules of Life, Rules of Work, Rules of Management, Rules of Wealth, Rules of Parenting and Rules of Love.

Reviews
"Most of the rules found in this 219-page book are delightfully sensible. They certainly live up to Templar's declaration that these guiding principles "will help you get more out of life, shrug off adversity more easily and generally be a happier, calmer, more fulfilled person." Indeed, not only will you feel the benefits but also everyone else around you. " - The Star (Malaysia), August 2006

"And they're not really rules, they're things we kind of knew already but have forgotten because we were too busy going to the gym and the therapist trying to figure out what was missing and there it was all the time... staring us in the face!"

- Radio Anna Livia (January 2006)

"Follow Templar's rules and enjoy a more fulfilled existence. Down-to-earth and witty it will change your attitude to life."

- Red, (July 2006)