Revised Rules

A while ago, I made a list of rules, a code to live by. It consisted of 53 rules, which can be read here and here. While my intentions were somewhat good, I realized very quickly that having 53 rules memorized is a complicated matter, not to mention just following all of those rules. It left no "wiggle room," if you will.

In my never ending quest to simplify my life, I've decided to do away with these 53 rules and reduce it down to just four. You may have heard me refer to these four rules in person. Well, here is where I'm explaining Kelly Cannon's four rules to live by.

Rule 1: Don't do anything stupid.
This is a pretty all encompassing rule and as such, it makes life a big easier to live. Sometimes I am asked what I mean by "stupid." What I mean by it is don't do anything you are going to regret later. If you do something and you regret it later, chances are what you did was a really stupid thing. This also ties into another idea I hold near and dear to me. It is in life there are good decisions, bad decisions, and fun decisions. The only difference between the bad decisions and the fun decisions is you don't regret the fun decisions. Bad decisions are stupid.

Rule 2: Be kind.
I've spoken about this several times. This is the foundation for my concept of what the purpose of life really is. Life is hard enough as it is without us making it harder for anyone else. At the very least, don't make anyone else's life more difficult by being mean. We should always try to show kindness to our fellow men. We should help people for no other reason than they need help. I've found that people will remember a kindness long after the kindness is extended. Case it point: the other day, a girl I knew in high school and I became friends on Facebook. It turns out she married one of my coworkers at the Review. Anyway, not long after we became friends, she posted on my wall, thanking me for always being so kind to her in high school. She was new and I had befriended her and treated her kindly. While I remember this girl from high school, I don't remember me being kind to her. That's not to say I was mean to her but I just don't remember going out of my way to be kind. I look back and thank high school me for being that way. Kindness makes a lasting impression. And we need more of it in this world.

Rule 3: Don't lie.
It has been my experience that lying makes everything worse. While initially it may make things easier, it will always catch up to you. Usually, when your lie is found out, not only is there trouble for what you were lying about but also from the fact you lied. Strangely enough, this is the rule I struggle with the most. And every time I break this rule, it bites me in the end and I am reminded why I have this rule to begin with.

Rule 4: Keep your promises.
I started following this rule not long after I met a man who would come to have one of the most profound influences on my life. He truly believed that a man is only as good as his word. Promises were a big deal to him. If someone promised to do something and they didn't do it, he lost trust and respect for them, something that was always exceedingly hard to gain back. I have since come to view promises much in the same way. If I promise to do something, I'm going to do it. If I promise to keep a secret, I will never tell. Unlike my third rule, this is possibly the easiest rule for me to follow. Perhaps it is because trust is so important to me that I won't do anything to compromise someone's trust in me.

So there are my four rules. What are yours?

Love you.
Mean it.