Six Rules of Life

1: Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping

2: Make friends with people who want the best for you

3: Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today

4: Tell the truth—or, at least, don’t lie

5: Be precise in your speech

6: Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t

Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping

Some people go to the doctor for a particular sickness. But when they get a prescription, they do not follow it correctly. For lack of money, some people cannot buy enough medicine. But others are stubborn as a mule. They think that the sickness will just go away. These people think they are already adults and they don’t need medicine.It’s a wonder, though, that when our pets are sick, we are very attentive. We bring them to the veterinarian and give our pets the proper medication. It seems that we are more worried about our pets than our health.

This situation also happens when it’s our loved ones who are sick. We remind them to take the right medicine at the right time. We encourage them to eat first before taking meds. We tell them to always take good care of their body.You have to love yourself as much as you love your family or your pet. Take care of yourself, treat yourself with more value. Do not forget to follow the doctor’s prescription accurately. Practice good hygiene, eat healthy food, and avoid vices. You must nourish your mind as well and keep on learning.

So much change will happen to your life if you master yourself. There will be less chaos and more order. If your well-being is in excellent condition, it will follow through, and other aspects of your life will follow as well.

Make friends with people who want the best for you

Jordan Peterson grew up in a small, boring town. There wasn’t much to do there, especially in the winter. He had a friend named Ed, who was a smart guy. But Ed became an angry, pessimistic teenager.They would go to house parties together or drive around town. Jordan went to college while Ed became heavily addicted to marijuana. Ed spent more time with his school drop-out friends. There was nothing Jordan could do to help.

One time, Ed visited Jordan in his college apartment. Jordan welcomed him, but it turned out Ed brought someone else. It was his friend, Carl. Jordan noticed at once that they were both high on marijuana. Carl sat down and stared at the ceiling. He said that his body was floating in the air.Eventually, Jordan took Ed aside and asked them to leave. Ed simply nodded. Maybe, it was because of loyalty that Ed kept on hanging out with Carl.It is sad to grow up in a community where people are lazy and mediocre.

But in the end, it’s still your choice. You can choose to surround yourself with people who will lift you. Stick with friends who will encourage you to be better and inspire you to succeed.You can choose not to be miserable. You can choose not to be like your alcoholic or addict friends. Find a purpose. Find people who can help you get on the right track.Every day is an opportunity for change. Leave the past behind and start over. With good friends on your side, you can find meaning in your life. You can look forward to days of happiness, hope, and love.

Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today

One day, you browse through social media and see the post of your friends. Some took a vacation in Europe. Some got promoted in their job. Some just got married. Some received an award, and some who finished masters or doctorate degrees. And there you are in your messy apartment, drinking beer with only your cat as a companion. You feel insecure and envious of your friends. You think that you’re probably going to die alone without even one thing to be proud of.That is not true. If you are a musician, do not compare yourself to Mozart. If you are a chef, do not compare yourself to Gordon Ramsay. You have unique skills. You, yourself, are a fantastic person.

Instead of comparing your life to other people, compare yourself to what you were yesterday. Then you will really see the difference. Strive to become better every day and practice your skill. Take note of your progress. You will surely be proud of yourself.Being insecure is not a good habit to have. Instead of browsing through social media or criticizing yourself, focus your time and energy on doing something productive. If you stop procrastinating and start practicing, you will improve. Just keep on doing what you love.

Comparing yourself to others will only bring chaos to your life. And only make you worse. Be a better person than you were yesterday. Be a better person than you were this morning. Your life will surely be extraordinary. And you wouldn’t need a social media post to prove it.

Tell the truth—or, at least, don’t lie

Jordan Peterson and his wife once lived in a small apartment building. They had a neighbour next door who was an alcoholic. His name was Denis, a big man with a grey beard. Denis worked as a painter and an electrician. Well, when Denis was not heavily drunk, that is.Sometimes, Denis drank 60 bottles of beer in two days. It was a wonder that he could still stand straight. Denis spent all his money on liquor. When he ran out of money and alcohol, he knocked on Jordan’s door.

Even if it was 2 AM, Denis knocked. He brought his posters or microwave or toaster and would offer to sell it to Jordan. He was willing to sell anything to quench his thirst and craving for alcohol.Jordan bought Denis’ items a few times. But Jordan’s wife said that Denis had to stop. Jordan was nervous.  How could he possibly explain to a big, scary drunkard that this could not continue anymore?

Jordan decided to tell the truth. He was straightforward and explained to Denis that he didn’t want to buy the toaster. He told Denis that it would not be appropriate for him if Jordan gave him more money.Jordan said it as a matter-of-fact. He didn’t play any games. For a few seconds, Denis just stood there, silent. He studied Jordan’s facial expression. Denis saw that Jordan was sincere and honest. So he turned around and left.Even though Denis was heavily drunk that night, he remembered not to sell anything to Jordan again. They became good neighbours to each other.

Lies create chaos. Even if it is to keep the peace, smooth things over, or avoid hurting someone’s feelings, it is still a lie. You may get out of the difficult situation today. But that lie will just lead to more problems.Small lies pile up to become big lies. If you always lie, you will already have distorted thinking. You will suffer many consequences. So, it’s better just to tell the truth. Tell it straight.

Be precise in your speech

Billy is a little boy who finds a dragon inside his bedroom one morning. It’s a small creature, as small as a cat. It is cute and friendly.Billy goes to his mother and says, “Mom, look! There’s a dragon in my room!”But Mom says, “Billy, there’s no such thing as a dragon.” The dragon starts to grow. It eats all the food in the kitchen. Soon, the dragon grows as big as the house. Mom continues to vacuum and clean the crumbs. She does not notice that the dragon flies off, and with it, the entire house.

Billy’s dad comes home from work. He cannot find their home. There is just an empty lot where it used to stand. The mailman informs him where the house flew.Dad sees the floating house and jumps to reach it. He grabs the dragon’s tail and climbs on its body. There, on the dragon’s back, Dad reunites with Mom and Billy.Mom still insists that there’s no such thing as a dragon. But Billy asserts himself and says, “There is a dragon, Mom.” At that moment, the dragon begins to shrink and goes back to its cat-like size.

Dad, Mom, and Billy finally agree that cat-like dragons exist and are preferable to giant dragons. Mom wonders why the dragon had to get that big in the first place.
Billy explains, “Probably, the dragon just wanted to be noticed.”This situation happens when we don’t recognize a problem. It only gets worse. If you don’t exactly pinpoint what’s wrong, you won’t be able to solve it.That’s why it’s essential to be precise with your speech. Do not say that everything is wrong. Do not say that nothing is wrong either. Be precise. Once you recognize and define the problem, you will know exactly what to do with it.

Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t

At one therapy session, Jordan Peterson’s client announced, “I hate my wife,” and then he fell silent for a few seconds.Dr. Jordan looked at him intently.The client continued, “Wait, that’s harsh. I hate my wife sometimes. I hate it that she will not tell me what’s wrong, and it drives me crazy. My mom was like that all the time. She carries a grudge every day, but doesn’t want to talk about it. She’s always bitter. It drove my dad crazy. It drove all of us crazy.”

He went on to say, “Now that I think of it, my wife isn’t as bad as my mother. There are times when my wife tells me what she wants. I just really feel bad when she doesn’t. Maybe, I‘m just overreacting. I don’t want to be like my parents. This doesn’t have anything to do with my wife. I have to tell her.” Dr. Jordan listened the entire time. He didn’t want to say anything that could sound like a judgment or discouragement to the client and instead went all ears. The client realized that he was actually projecting the image of his mother on his wife.

After a while, the client spoke up again. “Thank you for this session, Dr. Jordan. I really feel better.”Dr. Jordan nodded, realizing it was the right decision to remain silent.Many people just need someone to listen to them. They feel alone and need to vent out their feelings. Even if you don’t talk, you can help these people.Listen attentively. Show the person that you are concerned and trying to understand the situation. There is still non-verbal communication between you. The speaker will know if you are listening with sincerity or if you sympathize or can be trusted.

Like Dr. Jordan, you can help the person feel better. You can help him clear his thoughts and fix the problem, even if you don’t give advice. Just listen.