Rules of Life by Richard Templar

Part I: Rules for you

1. Keep it under your hat, don’t preach, propagate or even mention this
2. You’ll get older but not necessarily wiser; wisdom isn’t about not making mistakes but
about learning to escape afterward with our dignity and sanity intact
3. Accept What is done is done and you need to just get on with things
4. Accept yourself. You don’t have to improve or change or strive for perfection. Quite the
opposite. Just accept.
5. Know what counts and what doesn’t. There are some things in this life that is important
and a whole lot of things that aren’t
6. Dedicate your life to something. A yardstick to measure How and what I am doing and
where I am going
7. Be flexible in your thinking. Try not to see life as an enemy, but as a friendly sparring
partner
8. Taking an interest in the outside world is about developing you, rather than for the
world’s benefit
9. Be on the side of the angels, not the beasts
10. Only dead fish swim with the stream. Life is meant to be a series of struggles and lulls
11. Be the last to raise your voice
12. Be your own adviser, intuition.
13. No fear, no surprise, not hesitation, no doubt
14. I wish I’d done that, and I will. The world is divided into those who look at others
enviously and those who look at others as a motivational tool
15. Count to 10, you’ll get an appropriate response
16. Change what you can change, let go of the rest. Dedicate yourself personally to things
you can change, areas where you can make a difference.
17. Aim to be the very best at everything you do, not the second best. Failing is fine. Aiming
for the second best isn’t.
18. Don’t be afraid to dream
19. Don’t dwell on the past. Live here, live now. Live in this moment.
20. Don’t live in the future. Dreams are great but reality is fine too
21. Get on with life, it’s whooshing past. You have to give it a bit of thought if you want to
get the best out of it
22. Dress like today is important. People will react differently to you if you dress as if it
matters.
23. Have a belief system. You don’t have to prove it to anyone else, justify it, even show it
24. Leave a little space for yourself each day, where you do absolutely nothing
25. Have a plan, or it will always remain a dream
26. Have a sense of humor
27. Choose how you make your bed. Do the right thing every time, you know what it is
28. Life can be a bit like advertising, you’ll never know from which bits of effort comes the
best reward.
29. Get used to stepping outside your comfort zone. Expanding your comfort zone makes you
feel good about yourself.
 30. Learn to ask questions
31. Have dignity. It’s about showing self-respect and having quiet self-esteem
32. It’s ok to feel big emotions
33. Keep the faith
34. You’ll never understand everything.
35. Know where true happiness comes from, it’s right in yourself
36. Know when to let go, when to walk away.
37. Look after yourself
38. Maintain good manners in all things
39. Prune your stuff frequently
40. Remember to touch the base
41. Draw the lines around yourself
42. Shop for quality, not price
43. It’s okay to worry, or to know how not to
44. Staying young is trying out new tastes, new places to go, new styles
45. Throwing money at a problem doesn’t always work
46. Think for yourself
47. You are not in charge
48. Have something in your life that takes you out of yourself
49. Only the good feel guilty
50. If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all

Part II: Partnership rules

1. Accept the differences; embrace what you have in common

2. Allow your partner the space to be themselves
3. Be nice, go back to square one and start being courteous again
4. You have to be prepared for them to be independent, strong , out in the world separate
from you
5. Be the first to say sorry
6. Go that extra step in trying to please them
7. Always have someone – or something – that is pleased to see you
8. Know when to listen and when to act
9. Have a passion for your life together
10. Make sure your lovemaking is making love
11. Keep talking, it helps us understand, listen, share and communicate
12. Respect privacy
13. Check you both have the same shared goals
14. Treat your partner better than your best friend
15. Contentment is a high aim
16. You don’t both have to have the same rules

Part III: Family and friends rules

1. If you are going to be a friend, be a good friend. The most important bit is being there,
not just for the good times
 2. Never be too busy for loved ones
3. Let your kids mess up for themselves – they don’t need any help from you. You can’t
steer them right all the time or they’d never learn for themselves
4. Have a little respect and forgiveness for your parents
5. Give your kids a break
6. Never lend money unless you’re prepared to write it off
7. There are no bad children
8. Be up around people you love
9. Give your kids responsibility
10. Your children need to rebel to leave home
11. Your kids will have friends you don’t like
12. Your role as a kid, you have a duty to be courteous, thoughtful and cooperative toward
your parents
13. Your role as a parent, supportive, encouraging, kind, patient, educational, loyal, honest,
caring, loving

Part IV: Social rules

1. We’re all closer than you think. The difference between us is so very little when you
wipe away the veneer we all wear
2. It doesn’t hurt to forgive
3. It doesn’t hurt to be helpful
4. Take pride in what we do collectively
5. What’s in it for them
6. Hang out with positive people
7. Be generous with your time and information
8. Get involved
9. Keep the moral high ground. It tastes a lot better than revenge
10. Have a plan for your career
11. Learn to see your community as part of a bigger picture
12. Look at the long-term ramifications of what you do for a living
13. Be good at your job

Part V: World rules

1. Be aware of the damage you are doing

2. Be for the glory, not the degradation
3. Be part of the solution, not the problem
4. Check what history would say about you
5. Keep your eyes open at all times
6. Not everything can be green
7. Put something back
8. Find a new rule everyday – or occasionally at least