A Few Simple Rules...

      One of the legendary nights out in Seattle ended up with a hangover the size of the entire state of Washington. The best time for philosophy is easily when you are half alive and attempting to make food while still intoxicated from the festivities. The best hangover activity is closing all the blinds, sitting in the dark and watching a movie. Shutting the world out and tuning into a wonderful film. Our choice, The Dark Knight. One of the Joker's more profound lines was talking about living by rules. It instantly sparked a conversation about the rules we live our lives by. I thought I would share with you kids my rules of life.
      To start, my first rule is never lower your standards. Settling for work that is simply not up to par will never get you anywhere in life. I like to put all my effort into the things I work on until I am satisfied with my work 100%. It took me a while to learn this simple rule and I learned the hard way. I've taken advice from some great people but this one comes from my old man. Simply, never lower your standards in any aspect of your life.

      My next rule isn't really a rule just a simple guideline for living. It's not about where you come from, it's about where you're going. Too many people look back into their past and simply shutter at the thought of things that happened in the past, happening again. Life begins a new each and everyday. No two days are ever the same. The past can only repeat itself if you want it to repeat itself. Thinking about how you don't want something to happen will only force you to think about what happened and, naturally, it is most likely to happen again. This rule also plays into the first rule about keeping your standards high. If you don't think about what happened in the past and only think about where your perfect future lies, simply make it happen. It's really not hard to dream, the hardest part is doing all the work to realize your dreams.

     My last rule is pretty cheesy but it's always done the job for me. Follow your heart without a doubt, your brain will do all the thinking once you get there. Life isn't calculated, it moves on the currents of wind called change. Change is a fickle beast but once you learn how to accept that winds come and go and learn to ride those winds, Life becomes a lot more simple. Your brain is wired to keep you safe and making safe decisions will never push your boundaries and let you grow. I can't tell you how many people I've met that fear change. I hate when things stay the same because new things don't come into my life and possibly light things up for a while. Confidence is key for this rule. You must be confident enough that you have the strength to pick yourself up if you happen to fall. Remember, things never change when you're staring at the ground.

     One of my favorite sayings has always been that "Nobody said that life is easy but they always promised that it would be interesting." It rings true no matter what stage I've been in. The last thing you should remember when making your own rules about life is always try to bring a positive light to the people you meet. The world already knows enough pain and suffering and you never know what kind of day someone is having. If you're the one person who throws them a casual smile or even a friendly hello, you might just save their life. Keep your standards high kids, no one ever lowers the bar. Jump for the moon.