My ten rules for success, happiness or whatever. Rule 9

The Socrates rule.  Be an elitist, not a democrat, when it comes to opinions.

Lots of people (including me) will offer you opinions, rules, ideas, philosophies etc to navigate your way through life.  DO NOT LISTEN TO ALL OF THEM! There is a saying "everyone is entitled to their opinion", that is true.  But it is not true that everyone opinion is worth of being heeded.  Carefully weigh the opinions, and the people giving them, before taking what people say to you to heart.

My ten rules for success, happiness or whatever. Rule 8

The Godfather rule. Its not personal, its strictly business.

Michael Corleone. The Godfather.

Very closely related to rule 7, however, subtly related.  Just as the universe will occasionally, or even often, be indifferent to our ideas of justice or fairness so too we and others might appear to be.  I say 'appear' because sometimes we confuse the context in which we and others make their decisions.  If someone doesnt like our paper, our opinion, our ideas, our products its rarely personal.  Its not us, its just something we thought, wrote, did.  I find remembering that and embracing that very liberating.

My ten rules for success, happiness or whatever. Rule 7

The Will Munny rule. Deserves got nothin to do with it.

Will Munny. Unforgiven.

Basically, the rule here is to realise the world isnt fair, you have to deal with it as it is and not as you wish it was.

My ten rules for success, happiness or whatever. Rule 6

The Omar  rule. A man's got to have a code.

Omar Little

Superficially this is a nice and simple rule but on the other hand, trying to develop, and then live by, a code is no easy task.

My ten rules for success, happiness or whatever. Rule 5

5. The Bourne rule. To change you have to really change your identity otherwise you are still just a fat/unfit/unhappy/unsuccessful person on a diet,exercise program/happiness program/trying harder.

(this is one of my more complex rules and one of my most poorly phrased - more work to go)

My ten rules for success, happiness or whatever. Rule 4

The Gorilla rule. Dont give up. “Success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.”
― Robert Strauss

My ten rules for success, happiness or whatever. Rule 3

The Iron Mike rule. Flexibility. “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
― Mike Tyson

My ten rules for success, happiness whatever. Rule 1

Ok, I've been spending a little more time thinking as I ride and run recently but not putting much of anything down. One of the things I've been (mentally) getting back into is how to live my life and I've been wondering if my thoughts would have any value for others. Well the egoism at the centre of all blogging assumes my thoughts are worthy of being distributed so I may as well throw my rules out there.


Note, these ideas are fully formed yet, nor will I promise not to change my mind moving forward (see rule three). But here goes.


1. The Oxygen Mask rule. You have to take responsibility for yourself first before you can really help others.


2. The Budda rule. Our lives cant be accidents - be mindful of what do want, eat, do etc


3. The Iron Mike rule. Flexibility. “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
― Mike Tyson


4. The Gorilla rule. Dont give up. “Success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.”
― Robert Strauss


5. The Bourne rule. To change you have to really change your identity otherwise you are stil just a fat/unhappy/unsuccessful etc person trying something new.


6. The Omar rule. A man's got to have a code.


7. The Will Munny rule. Deserves got nothin to do with it.


8. The Godfather rule. Its not personal, its only business.


9. The Socrates rule. Be an elitist when it comes to opinions.


10. The John Kennedy emergency rule. Ok, all the above rules are based having time to contemplate your navel, carefully consider your options, choose the best and press on in accordance with the plan and following the process. But sometimes life just doesn't give you that time. When its all gone to shit an you feel paralyzed then follow the John Kennedy emergency rule. No, not John Kennedy the US president, yeah he said a few memorable things but he pales against the other great John Kennedy, Australian Football coach during the 60's and 70's. Once when his team was getting belted and the plan was shot to pieces he exhorted his players with this simple dictum:


"At least DO SOMETHING! DO! Don't think, don't hope, do! At least you can come off and say 'I did this, I shepherded, I played on. At least I did something.'"


A man could do worse.