13 principles to live by

Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. - Groucho Marx
 

1. Express your talent
   Paint, write, sing,... Find the time for it and do it with all your heart.
   
2. Stand for your choices
   Stick to your conviction but be ready to abandon your assumptions.
   Voice your opinion. Accept that you make wrong choices.
   
3. Learn from your children
   They are your mirror but they are not you.
   
4. Listen to your body
   Sleep enough. Exercise to let your body breathe and free your mind. Eat healthy to allow your body to be healthy.
   
5. Tell the truth
   A lie is an internal brake. It is a fear that locks us up. If we face this fear however, it makes us grow and the courage we used to overcome our fear reinforces us and makes us stronger. Always.
   
6. Be linked to your heart
   Have friendships that are strong but not built on any kind of dependance or lies.
7. Authorise yourself to be human
   Don't try to be happy ALL the time. Accept lows and failures. They need to exist to allow for the highs and successes.
8. Cease to do several things at a time
   Multitasking usually means stress. You cannot listen to two of your favorite songs at the same time. Do one thing at a time, and do it well, with all your concentration.
9. Learn to ask
   for help, for love, for advice, for explanation, for an answer, ...There are no stupid questions.
10. If you want it to stick, make it a ritual.
    You rarely forget to brush your teeth in the morning, right? So if you want to work out once a week, pick a day and time and stick to it for a while until it becomes a ritual, a habit, a drug instead of a drag. Like children we need rituals so that we do not feel lost.
11. Make lists.
    To do lists, Books to read lists, Websites to visit lists, Things to learn list,... They allow you to focs instead of forget or drift off.
12. Listen.
    Really listen...instead of letting your mind wander off and think about what you will reply, what your opinion is, what you have read on the subject.
13. Try to do something good or make someone happy every day.
    Call your mom - even if you have to listen to her nagging - it will make her happy. Give someone a compliment. Send someone a thank you note. Donate 25$ at Kiva.