Observer's Notes

The ideas of a thoughtful college student (Updated Whenever)

  • Welcome to Observer’s Notes!

    Here you'll find my various thoughts and musings - me being Brian Hettinger, a college freshman who likes blogging. I try to update every Friday, sometimes in-between, but I almost always write about life and culture. I find I tend to focus on my own life rather than on universals. Feel free to comment anywhere you like; I love hearing other peoples' views.
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Archive for June 8th, 2008

Filler Blog: 18 Rules for Living

Posted by Brian on June 8, 2008

There’s a graduation blog forthcoming, I promise. It’s just taking me much longer than usual to write. It’s turning out to be one of my favorite pieces I’ve written though. In the meantime, I stumbled across the Dalai Lama’s 18 rules for living today. I think they’re absolutely brilliant, so I thought I’d share them with you here:

  1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
  2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
  3. Follow the three Rs:
    1. Respect for self
    2. Respect for others
    3. Responsibility for all your actions.
  4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
  5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
  6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
  7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
  8. Spend some time alone every day.
  9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
  10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
  11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
  12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
  13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
  14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
  15. Be gentle with the earth.
  16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
  17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
  18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

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