My Ten Rules of Life

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Everyone has their own set of rules that guide them throughout their life. There is no wrong set of rules, they are all uniquely different.

Here, I want to share the ten rules I use that help map out my life and make me achieve what I believe is a fulfilling one.

I want to thank Richard Templar for his own rules that greatly helped me as a reminder to apply in my life as well. I listed down some of the rules from the book that I strongly agree with. But also, I added some of my own! Hope these could be of some help to you as well.

1. Appreciate the small things

Whenever you are in a rough patch, there is always something to appreciate. It could be about the weather or a friend saying hello. Besides, life consists of many, many small moments. When you start not just looking, but truly seeing the smallest treasures, that is when you can genuinely appreciate the bigger goals in your life.

2. Have a motto to abide to

One of Richard Templar's rules. It can be different for everyone. But once you have a motto, it’s easy to steer your direction in life. Mine for example is simply to pass on the learning. To me, that means that I want to keep on learning, whether it’s a subject, language, or about people. It encourages me to be understanding of other people and their situation and find ways to help if needed. It would be a waste of learning if it couldn’t be shared.

3. Treat people and yourself like they’re dying

This sounds over-the-top but hear me out. No one likes acting like an a-hole to someone who is dying. Treat them in a way where they will feel like they matter. So always treat people with kindness, regardless of who they are. The same goes for yourself too. This will also encourage you to be more adventurous (but of course, stay safe). What I’m trying to say is respect anyone and everyone. You can dislike the person, you can even abhor them. But respect is the fundamental aspect we should carry with ourselves every day. That is what it is to be at the very least a decent human being.

4. Be consistent

Another rule by Richard Templar. Know your beliefs and values, and do not waver away from them. You should behave in a way that is predictable, otherwise you will keep making people close to you live on edge. This doesn’t necessarily apply when you want to take risks, or some unexpected activity like skydiving. That helps make your life like an adventure. But, being consistent is important in how you treat people.

5. Seek for discomfort

Richard Templar mentions in his book that the more you seek for discomfort, the larger your comfort zone. And the larger your comfort zone, the happier you feel. Imagine having a small house and you move into a much bigger space. Wouldn’t it feel less confined and freer.

6. Balance your life

Balance your life to lead a fulfilling one. Balance time for yourself, for friends, for family, work, etc. Diversify your time, and switch up your routine from time to time. It makes your life more interesting that way.

7. You live and you learn

I made this rule for myself after reading one of Richard Templar’s rules: do not dwell on the past, and don’t make your past permanently define who you are. Use the past as a lesson to change your behaviour now and in the future and become the person you want to be. It is never too late to start anew and improve.

8. Remain humble

You do not need to boast to people about who you are or what you have achieved. Of course, sometimes, you would have to point out what your strengths are. For example, when you’re at the workplace, you would have to tell them what you’re good at so that they could notice. But you don’t have to go out of your way to tell people how good of a person you are. Your personality and character will shine through your actions.

9. You are what you attract

The way people treat you is like a mirror. For instance, if you are someone who loves themselves, you attract people who will genuinely love you as well. And vice versa. So always treat yourself kindly and respect yourself. You cannot directly control who will come to you, but you can control how you treat yourself. Become attractive to yourself. Become someone that you can be proud of when you look at the mirror. This confidence and self-love will not be overlooked and you will attract people who feel the same.

10. Do not live in the future

Another lesson from Richard Templar, and one of my favourites. You can have dreams that can be attained in the future. But do not project your happiness into the future. Don’t think to yourself, “Oh, once I achieve my dreams, I can become super rich and be happy”. Yes, you can be richer and happier, but if you forget to be happy now, are you sure you can be happy once you achieve your dreams? Or will you still think that you can be happier? You can appreciate reality while still going on your journey to achieve your dreams.

I highly recommend Richard Templar's book The Rules of Life. Although it's no grand discovery about life, it's a powerful reminder that we need to remember from time to time. It makes you think about your own rules too. Everyone has them, and it's good to solidify it in your mind so you become more aware of who you want to be in life.