I have one of those Page A Day calendars on my desk, particularly, The Gretchen Rubin A Happier 2018.  It contains inspirational quotes, tip and just things that help my day get off to a good start.  A few weeks ago, the calendar talked about having a list of personal commandments to live life by.  So, it got me to thinking about what are the rules I want to live by.  So, here goes:

  1. Respect others
  2. Listen to what people are saying instead of spinning my interpretation on it
  3. Don’t hold grudges
  4. When in doubt, forgive
  5. If my instinct says that something doesn’t smell right, listen to that instinct
  6. Be a parent, not a friend
  7. Don’t worry about pleasing others, because someone is always going to have a problem with what I do
  8. The past is a nice place to visit, but I don’t want to live there
  9. Take personal responsibility for my actions (ie don’t blame others)
  10. Prepare for the future, but live in the present
  11. Try not to overthink things
  12. Talk to people, not at them
  13. Accept criticism gracefully
  14. Remember that some people are not as smart as me in some ways, nor as dumb as me in others
  15. Be open minded to new ideas
  16. Don’t worry about what others think of me
  17. Always know both sides of an argument before taking a stand
  18. Always check the weather before I leave the house
  19. If a subway car is empty, there’s probably a good reason
  20. Write things down- memory will only get you so far

There are probably others, but these are the things I really try to do, sometimes with more success than others.  I think it’s a good idea to have some sort of internal code of conduct.  Sometimes we reach a crossroads, and it’s nice to have a little roadmap as to what we value: it helps us choose the next path.

So, it’s homework day:  Think about your personal commandments.  What’s the code you live by?

70 thoughts on “My Commandments”

  1. Your sound chillingly like mine, I have a real problem with number seven. I just wrote a piece about forgiveness on Medium last night you should really go check it out and you should write for Medium yourself! It was for a mini-writing challenge. There are so many publications to write for, I’m sure you would find a great fit. Personally I write for the weekly knob, the writing cooperative under the slack channel, the creative Café, sometimes on 100 naked words, just wherever someone asked me to really !

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      1. No, those ideas came from framed artwork that I see every day. My rules of life, so to speak. I was just asking people which idea seemed most important to them. Try it with your commandments, the comments were fascinating.

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    1. I see that happening more and more. Things are so often being taken out of context . They see a particular word and make it about the word and not the idea

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  8. If I don’t write it down, it won’t happen. If I ain’t got nothing nice to say, keep my mouth shut. When driving, the best defense is a good offense.
    (Ok, so that last one was a bit of twisted, sarcastic humor. Mostly)

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  9. Learn from mistakes don’t repeat them, don’t take myself so seriously, make time for fun in everyday, tell my kids and husband everyday that I love them, you never know when time is up. Live like a New Englander- take it as it comes. Lol

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  13. 1. Be Safe
    2. Be Healthy
    3. Be Happy
    4. Don’t Be An A**hole

    They may seem pretty simple, but they work for me. They especially help me when it comes to making really hard decisions with regards to being a parent. If my kids are doing, or want to do something that I’m not so sure about, I think about those guides, and if there is a conflict with any of those, then that something isn’t such a good idea. If that something doesn’t trigger one of those, then my reasons for saying no are more than likely not good reasons and I need to consider saying yes. Basically, they force me to stop and think, which is always a good thing.

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  23. Mine are pretty much the same as yours, number 6 is a good one, I was a parent to my son and now he is an adult we are friends. Although I can still shut him up with a ‘MOMMY LOOK’ 😄
    Another one I try to do is put myself in the other persons shoes.

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  24. Good List. I may steal a few. I definitely should try to make my own list. I think my #1 will be your #4—When in doubt, forgive. Then ask myself why I need that one so often. And to remember that it applies to myself, as well.

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  25. I think it’s a good idea to have an actual moral code, although I’ve never really thought about it this way before. I agree with all of yours, so I may just print that off! (Except for the subway one, as we don’t have subways in St. Louis.) And I would add: “leave the world just a little bit better than you found it.”

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  29. 😂😂 at 19.

    I love your entire list! Such mature thinking and excellent qualities to possess. 😊

    I try not to be judgmental of others. I try to be forgiving, and I strive to treat others with dignity and respect, especially the elderly.

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  30. Long list but thought provoking! #7 reminded me of the five regrets list – the importance of living your own life.
    I also liked talking to people rule.
    Comments were great to read also. If you want to read the five regrets Hughes use search on my page or I could email you the link

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