We seem to like “how-to’s”, understandings and theories put into lists: the six majors of this—the ten fundamentals or theories of that. In keeping with this tradition, I offer “The Rules For Being Human”, which I came across a number of years ago. The origin of these ten “rules” is uncertain, as I have seen them presented by different authors and teachers. Here, I have added some thoughts to clarify and challenge your thinking. I will list them in two separate posts.
THE RULES FOR BEING HUMAN
1. YOU WILL RECEIVE A BODY.
Pretty basic, and you may or may not like the one you’ve got, but it’s worth acknowledging that this is the one that will be yours for your entire life. Notice how much negative thinking and physical disregard has been put into a body that has done a pretty good job of keeping things going despite the negative mental and physical input. It’s not a coincidence that it’s been referred to as a temple.
2. YOU WILL LEARN LESSONS.
You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid; it doesn’t matter.
3. THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, ONLY LESSONS.
Growth is a process of trial and error: experimentation. The failed experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately works. Others have reported, and I concur from my own life experience, that the most difficult experiences were the ones that ultimately reveal the most learning and insight.
4. A LESSON IS REPEATED UNTIL IT IS LEARNED.
A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. Unfortunately, a lesson that is avoided will too often be presented in a more difficult set of circumstance in the future. The kicker about a ‘lesson’ is that when you have learned or mastered it, you get go on to the next lesson, because…
5. LEARNING LESSONS DOES NOT END.
There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there is still something to learn. Here’s a simple test to see if you still have lessons to learn: check for a pulse. Still there?
OK, thanks for your time. I’ll include the remaining five ‘rules’ in my next post.