Challenging the 7 cardinal rules of life

We are all bound by certain sets of rules that keep us grounded to our roots. These rules can come in any sort of manner and they even alter as life goes on. You either build these for yourself or they are built for you. The point is, they are there in existence to either constantly remind you of the path you have to lead or how to go about life in the right ways.

My article today is not aimed at disregarding these rules, but simply questioning what is right and what needs to be changed, because I guess not too many people ponder over what they have been told to do. They just go ahead and do it. Perhaps it is time that we change the way we take things and ponder over our issues.

So here are the seven cardinal rules of life, and my explanation as to why they should be changed.

MAKE PEACE WITH YOUR PAST, SO IT DOESN’T SPOIL YOUR PRESENT

They say, your past does not define your future – your actions and beliefs do. Okay, that’s a pretty legit thing to say to someone who probably doesn’t have the worst of the past still dwelling around or somehow can come back haunting. It is not easy to make peace with the past, which is why it is called the past in the first place. Either it was wrong or something that wasn’t exactly nice to you.

There are some people out there who find peace or joy in hurting and ruining someone’s life. It doesn’t matter if you make peace with your past, for all we know the present could be hurtful too. Not being a pessimistic here, but being a realist. There is no actual guarantee of you making peace with your past, for it may just come back to ruin your present.

My alteration to this cardinal rule: Be on your guard at all times, hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.

WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOU IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

I laugh at the irony of this rule. It’s all about how much you value yourself and how important you think you are. Well, there are people out there who don’t give a hoot to what others might think of their actions (a HUGE shout out to Mr. Trump and the likes). And then again, there is you. Yes, you. You will like to tell yourself you don’t care what others think about you, but at the end of the day, it is a thought stuck in your mind.

That’s where society walks in. If it is correct for the norms and values of the society, will it make me look bad? Those are the worries that start to get to you and you’re way over the opposite side of this rule.

My modification: Be satisfied with what you do. Live to have no regrets.

TIME HEALS ALMOST EVERYTHING, GIVE TIME, TIME

Pain will be less hurting. Scars make us who we are; they explain our life and why we are the way we are. They challenge us and force us to be stronger; one word for this rule is absurd. No. Not all things can be healed by time and not all scars change you for your betterment every single time.

My rule: Let the truth be, and with time come to acceptance.

NO ONE IS THE REASON FOR YOUR OWN HAPPINESS, EXCEPT YOU YOURSELF

Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. If this were true, then everyone would wake up happy in the world. It’s a universal truth, our happiness is very much associated to a whole bunch of people and reasons, and they all influence it.

My pitch of this rule: Try and be happy with what you have and pray more will come.

DON’T COMPARE YOUR LIFE WITH OTHERS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEIR JOURNEY IS ALL ABOUT

Very indeed true, one cannot say anything till they have been in the other’s shoe. Yet, we do it all the time. Even if you own a Mercedes and your friend comes by with a Ferrari, you’d be at the comparing game like anything.

My rule: A little something is better than nothing. Learn to be grateful.

STOP THINKING TOO MUCH, IT’S ALL RIGHT NOT TO KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS

Sometime there is no answer, not going to be any answer, never has been an answer. That’s the answer! Just accept it and move on. Now this rule gets me going, this is all about answers. My biggest question to this is how does one move-on after accepting it? Got an answer for that Einstein?

My rule: Think healthy. Be positive.

SMILE

You don’t own all the problems in the world. A smile can brighten the darkest day and make life more beautiful. It is a potential curve to turn a life around and set everything straight.

If only it were that easy, as said, like hey, smile. Then this world would be a much happier place to live in.

My rule: Don’t fake it. Don’t pretend.