The Rules (no, not those rules. better ones)

I saw a post I thought was pretty cool, by Avitable. It was a Rules for Life post. Then I saw another one, at Shamelessly Sassy. I decided that I should write down a few of my own rules. Obviously, everyone's rules are different, since we are all different. These are just the ones that I live by and believe in!

So, here goes...

1. Respect. Respect yourself, and respect others. If you give respect, you're more than likely to get it back.
2. Regret is a waste of time. In Jonathan Larson's words "There's only us, There's only this, Forget regret, Or life is yours to miss, No other road, No other way, No day but today".
3. Sometimes musicals speak the truth.
4. Never lose a friendship if you don't have to, but recognize that sometimes you have to.
5. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. People are more generous than we give them credit for.
   
6. If you have to stare at yourself in the dressing room mirror for more than 3 minutes trying to decide, you shouldn't buy it. You'll never wear it.
7. Pay attention to what goes into your body. We ingest so many chemicals and unpronounceable ingredients, sometimes organic feels so much better.
8. If you can learn to forgive, it will free you as much or more as it's freeing the person you're forgiving.
9. There is almost nothing in life that isn't worth forgiving for someone you love (romantically or otherwise).
10. Friendships ebb and flow. You don't have to be in constant contact with someone to call them one of your best friends, or an important part of your life.
11. Happiness trumps money every time. I'd rather be poor than miserable.
12. There is no shame in taking medication if your body can't balance itself.
13. Animals and children are way smarter and more perceptive than we give them credit for.
14. God is always with us, but a lot of the time we will not understand why things happen when they happen. Faith has the power to get us through things we couldn't otherwise endure.
15. You can meet friends in the most unlikely places. Be open to it when it happens!

I'm sure there are more, maybe I'll add them when I think of them. But for now, those are some of my rules.

And, I'll steal Amanda's ending: You should do one of these. Either in the comments or on your own blog, either way, send me the link. I love reading the rules that people apply in life.