12 Rules of My Life

RULE 1: I DEFINE WHO I AM

                  I want to remind myself that I should not let other people decide for me. I will be who I want to be and I know myself more than anyone else. I should not let their words of hate affect me too. I know that I am not born to please anyone in this world. There will always be people who will think that I am lesser than them or will hate me for no good reason. I want this rule to be one of my guides and strengths in becoming more confident in myself.

RULE 2: ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL

            There are a lot of things that I should be grateful for everyday that I continuously forget. Even the simplest things deserve gratitude in this world. Aside from that, simple thank yous can bring the brightest smiles that you can see every day. It might lift others’ spirits and it can also give you a warm feeling in your heart. I also want myself to be aware that I am blessed and privileged with a lot of things and therefore I should be grateful.

RULE 3: ALWAYS BE KIND

Being kind to others will cost me nothing. Even if others are not, that does not mean that

I should do the same thing. If I surround myself with kindness and allow that kindness to be transferred to other people, I think that somehow the world becomes a little lighter. Also, there are people out there who only need to feel a touch of kindness to have a change of heart. People tend to be drawn to kindness. If I will be able to attract other people by being kind, then I think there is also a high chance that I will be able to influence them that they should also do the same.

RULE 4: DON’T BE AFRAID TO SAY YOU DON’T KNOW

            I am usually afraid of being asked why I do not know such something. This made me feel scared and insecure that at this age and point in my life, there are a lot of things that I am unaware of. I feel like this ignorance will cost me a lot in the future therefore, I tend to rush learning and doing things to somehow suffice to the times that I lost in the past. But that is not the case anymore, I know that all of us have our own pacing in life. I should not rush things just because others are ahead of me.

RULE 5: LET GO OF THE TOXICITY IN YOUR LIFE

            Instead of only saying that I should let go of negative things, I thought that I should let go of the things that I find toxic in my life. There also exists what they call toxic positivity and I think that it is also not healthy for my mental health if I apply it in my life. So I want to remove those things from my existence. If I know that some things will not help me better myself then I should just leave it. Also, by doing this, I will come to learn about the things that I should attach myself with and those things that I should accept will be better if it is not involved in my life.

RULE 6: IT’S ALRIGHT TO CRY DURING BAD TIMES

            I tend to keep everything to myself and refuse to cry even if I am feeling lonely, frustrated or angry especially when it’s related to academics, deadlines and my family. However, I want to make a rule for myself now that it is perfectly fine if I show some of these emotions. I want to tell myself that crying is fine if I really feel bad about something. By doing this, I will be able to get it off my chest and somehow feel better even for just a little while. I know that I could seek out other people, however, there are battles that I should try to handle on my own before bringing it up to others.

RULE 7: CONSIDER BOTH SIDES BEFORE ANY DECISION OR JUDGMENT

            It would do me more harm than good if I quickly judge a person or decide impulsively on a situation. I think it is important that at this point in my life I should learn how to understand first the situation before anything else. I am no high schooler anymore to immediately spout nonsense against another or settle to a “Bahala na” attitude and act on impulse. This time, I want to create a wider perspective and understanding for myself so that I can better analyze the situations I’m in and the options in front of me.

RULE 8: KEEP YOUR EYES ON YOUR GOALS WITHOUT STEPPING ON OTHER PEOPLE

            I have goals that I want to achieve in the future and I’m sure that my goals will grow even bigger. That is why I already want to remind myself that no matter where I stand in the future, I should always keep my feet on the ground. Instead of dreaming and aiming high, I should also dream and aim deeper. Deeper in the sense that I have full understanding, consideration, compassion and empathy to whoever or whatever I work with in the future. Always consider that people are autonomous and sensible. They are humans just like me and we all exist together for the same purpose: to have and live a good life. I have no right to trample on them even if it’s for the sake of achieving my goals.

RULE 9: KEEP TRYING

            Until now, I still have a lot of trouble and difficulties with consistency. I have things that I want to do and learn but continue to fail because of my inconsistency. Aside from that, I become dejected whenever I fail or the result that I got isn’t the that I envisioned to begin with. With this rule, I want to push myself to keep trying no matter what. Learn what needs to be learned. Do what needs to be done. With constant practice and consistency, I will achieve the result that I want in time. Surpassing my limits and going beyond, that is what I want to instill in my mind with this rule. Keep trying and never give up.

RULE 10: LISTEN

            I know what it feels to be unheard. I know what it feels to be ignored and invalidated. I know how it feels to be hushed. But how hypocritical of me for there are also a lot of times where I have failed to listen. This time, I want to be a good listener. Even if others don’t do the same for me, I shouldn’t do the same for them. Listening is one of the things that we need right now. If only people would just listen, the world could’ve been a bit easier even if it’s just a little. And with that, I want to start with myself. I want to keep listening first before speaking. There are people out there that want to be heard that’s why I will.

RULE 11: SAVE FIRST BEFORE SPENDING

            Knowing myself, I know that once I get to earn for myself, there is a high chance that I will spend it on things that I never had when I was younger. And I want to stop myself now, saving for emergencies and other necessities come first before my gratification. Just because I got my degree and a job doesn’t mean I already have the luxury for other things. Since the future remains unknown, it is important that I already prepare for the worse. I want myself to learn how to manage money so that I will not have a hard time controlling myself in the future.

RULE 12: BE FREE

            Growing up, even though we have democracy in this country. I still feel like I’m chained, held back and trapped. There are things I want to pursue but I didn’t because I have to consider our financial situations and my intellectual capacity. I entered doors to a good thing but I have no idea why my parents still refused. My thoughts are always wrapped around those that I cannot control. And I somehow think that because of these I grew to become a coward to some things. That is why I want myself to be free. I want to slowly step away from the things that are holding me back. I want to forcefully get myself out of what’s keeping me trapped. I want myself to experience the feeling of being free. And I will, maybe not now but soon.

As my fellow friends who are all open to improvements, I also encourage you all to create your own personal rules that you will apply in your lives. This will not only help us to become better but it will also help us achieve a happier life.