ROBERT’S RULES FOR 2015

This started out as a ten things to live by blog post for 2015, but the list quickly grew to fifteen, so here it is:

1. Exercise your free will at every juncture. This was something that came to my awareness in 2014, and it tops    the list for 2015- Free will is paramount to being happy,   so recognize that you have it in every life situation, and   don’t be afraid to use it. Always. The barometer for your actions should be: does this feel right to me?

2.  Similar to (1) above, but this is also crucial: respect the free will of others. If you can manage this, you will avoid so many contentious situations.  A great by-product of this is that you no longer need to bend others to your will; just allow them to be as they are.

3. Break existing patterns. This was another great lesson of 2014. There can be no growth without change, and change is not going to happen if you are stuck in the same  rut. Go out and explore!

4. Whenever you are in doubt as to what to do, shower the    situation with love. You can’t lose doing this! This was also something I worked with in 2014, and it is so   important. It works particularly well when the available  choices don’t look so great; now you can do nothing but  shower love on the situation until a viable course of  action emerges. Try it and see.

5. Find the love within you. Similar to (4) above, and really, you can’t show love to others if you don’t first feel it yourself. In this world where we are constantly bombarded with images of how we “should” be, take time to know that you are worthy and deserving of all life’s riches exactly how you are right now.

6. Don’t hold back. Every moment is precious and presents opportunities for personal growth, helping others, and enjoyment. Don’t miss out- give each moment your all.

7. Be sincere. Sincerity is not trumpeted enough. It is a fundamental energy that should be at the core of every action. Period. Don’t confuse sincerity with weakness of any kind, and don’t think it means you have to do whatever anyone asks. You should never do anything that you are uncomfortable with, no matter who asks.

8. Limit or eliminate all promises. Be aware of every promise you make, no matter how small. Try to promise less, and deliver more, so the recipient is pleasantly surprised.

9. Recognize that we are all one. This is also something that came into my consciousness in 2014, thanks to some great friends. It is extremely useful when confronted with something I don’t like; it limits reactive behavior and lashing out in a big way.

10.  Enjoy every single moment. Whoever told you that you have to suffer in this life was telling you a big, fat  lie. Truman Capote had it right: “Living well is the best  revenge.”

11. Talk to yourself. We all talk to ourselves- it’s the  inner dialogue or soundtrack we carry with us. Change that   soundtrack to all the great things you want to be. This is      almost magical, because when you practice this (try it in the mirror) two or three times a day, your world will change. Like I said, it’s magic….

12. Be generous to a fault. And I’m not just talking about  money, I’m talking about generosity of spirit. If a friend  is in trouble, be there when they need you, not when it’s convenient. Give, give and give, and do it without expectation of anything. This can be a game changer.

13.  Find the soul in every life situation. I borrowed this concept from a novel I read in 2014, where one of the characters would leave a room, or an encounter, when she“couldn’t feel the soul.” I love this sentiment and I am using it in 2015.

14. See the perfection. I’ve come to view the universe as   perfect, and believe that we are all exactly where we  should be. That doesn’t mean I always like that perfection.   This concept of perfection was introduced to me in 2014,  and it took awhile for me to grasp it. I now respect the universe and its infinite wisdom.

15. Don’t complain. It is such a privilege to just be here, why would I want to complain? Here again, it does not mean that there are no situations I want to change, but I put my energy into effecting that change, rather than complaining about it.