Golden Rules

It’s old and yellowed and weathered and has seen many a new year come and go. It’s a newspaper clipping I found in my sister’s jewelry box, after she passed. I don’t know how long it’s been in her jewelry box. I don’t even know which newspaper this is from and, but it seems like it’s from an Ask Ann Landers column or a Dear Abby column. I thought I’d share it with you.

Golden Rules for Living

1.?????? If you open it, close it.

2.?????? If you turn it on, turn it off.

3.?????? ?If you unlock it, lock it up.

4.?????? If you break it, admit it.

5.?????? If you can’t fix it, call in someone who can.

6.?????? If you borrow it, return it.

7.?????? If you value it, take care of it.

8.?????? If you make a mess, clean it up.

9.?????? If you move it, put it back.

10.?? If it belongs to someone else, get permission to use it.

11.?? If you don’t know how to operate it, leave it alone.

12.?? If it’s none of your business, don’t ask questions.

In today’s society, life is complicated, heavy and dense with jobs, responsibilities, technology, too many personal belongings, lack of one-on-one human connection and communications, cluttered homes, less connection to Nature, more marketing and advertising, and on and on it goes. But why do we complicate life? Why do we do a disservice to ourselves and make mountains out of molehills? Why do we take on more than we need to or more than we can handle?

Life is simple and maybe we just need to get back to the basics. These twelve rules are a great tool to help maintain that simplicity. What if we all put these twelve golden rules into practice every day? Just imagine. What a wonderful world it would be. And how much easier and less complicated our lives would be.

So here’s a challenge. Can you follow these twelve rules for a month? Or what about implementing two in the first month and then adding two new ones each month? Which ones would be easy for you? Which one would be troublesome for you? Which ones do you already do? Is there something you need to let go of in order to invite one of these into your life? Can you embrace the simplicity of these twelve rules?

These humble rules can have a lasting impression on you and your family. So take them to heart and start to put them into play in your life and see how your life changes for the better.