Successful Living: 9 Universal Laws

1. The Law of Balance

I got an email from a wise friend the other day who had this to say,

"Whenever I am out of balance in one area of my life, I usually end up binging, (going to excess) in some other area of my life."

Even sunshine burns if you get too much.

2. The Law of Competition

There are many times when competition is an extremely healthy thing. There are other times, however, when it can get in our way. Because there will always be people who we do better than and there will always be people who do better than us, the danger is to feel either arrogant or inferior, neither of which is a very useful emotion.

One answer is to be in competition with your self. This simply means to commit to doing better and better in each day. As Colonel Potter said to Hawkeye on an episode of M*A*S*H, "The only person you need to do better than is your self, and that's a big enough challenge."

3. The Law of QTIP

Here's an instant stress buster & perspective changer from professional speaker Tim O'Brien:

"Quit Taking It Personally."

4. The Law of Perspective

Author Richard Back said, "Perspective: use it or lose it."

Losing perspective is one of the quickest ways to lose your way in life. On the other hand, using your perspective, even seeing a different perspective is a most effective tool.

5. The Law of Stress

Believe it or not, we all need a little stress in our lives. Too little, and there is no motivation for change. Too much, and we begin to shut down and get overwhelmed. It's important to know your optimal level of stress and then do all the necessary things to keep your stress in balance.

6. The Law of Passion

The happiest people I know are those that are passionate about something in their lives. Even happier people get to earn their living pursuing their passion. What's your passion? How could it support you?

7. The Law of Freud

I've never been a big fan of Freud. At the same time, he did have this usefeul thing to say:

"To be happy, we all need some one to love, something to do, and something to hope for."

8. The Law of Hope

Never, ever, never give up hope. Hope for the future, in and of itself, keeps us moving in the right direction.

9. The Law of 10,000

One of my favorite change stories is called "The Room of 10,000 Monsters." In this room, all your worst fears, anxieties and nightmares are played out in front of you as if they were real. You walk in and close the door behind you. There is no handle on the inside of the door. The only door with a handle is across the room. If you can walk across the room and reach the door, you will reach Nirvana. (Not the rock group, but happiness and contentment.) You have to go by yourself, with only two pieces of advice. The first is no matter what you see, hear or feel, remember that it's not real, it's just taken from your own imagination. That's good advice, but if your biggest fear is of heights and you see your self on the edge of a 20 story building, you're not likely to get anywhere. The second piece of advice is that no matter what you see, hear, or feel, keep your feet moving, and you will get to the other side.

The moral of the story: keep your feet moving

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