Ten Ridiculously Easy Rules For a Less Ridiculous Life

Why make things harder than they need to be?

The amount of money being made in the self-help industry is insane.

I mean… I don’t blame people for wanting to make a buck. And I don’t blame people for wanting a bit of help navigating this crazy thing called life.

But jeez… there’s a lot of money changing hands.

Let me make things easier for you.

Start out with these 10 ridiculously easy rules for life before shelling out for the latest Deepak Chopra book.

Sorry, Deepak. Nothing personal.

Here we go…

1. Don’t fret over things you can’t change.

Some things just aren’t going to change.

Some things will, and you’ll learn how to affect positive change. But you also need to know what things you have no power over. The Dodgers are never going back to Brooklyn, but that’s probably a good thing.

Your health. Your addictions. Your attitudes. Those are things you can change. Focus on them instead,

2. Remember that life isn’t fair.

Uf. If you haven’t picked up on this by now, I don’t know what more to tell you.

Just do your best, and you’ll be fine.

3. Confront that thing you’ve been avoiding.

That electric bill isn’t going away. If you don’t do something about that, you’ll be reading this in the dark.

That talk you need to have with your racist uncle is probably not going to go well, but you can’t let racism slide.

If you don’t mow the lawn now, the grass will get too high to cut later. Then where will you be? In the weeds, that’s where.

Avoidance sounds easy at first, but it only makes things harder later down the road.

4. Have that thing checked out.

Got a mole where you didn’t have a mole before?

Is that a rash? That’s new, isn’t it?

Are your feet supposed to hurt like that?

Fire is not supposed to come out of there.

Go see a doctor — or at least visit a clinic. Best do these things sooner than later.

5. Understand that you can’t save everyone.

Some people are determined to be a walking cautionary tale no matter how much you try to help. At a certain point, you’re going to get dragged into it.

It’s not selfish to decide when enough is enough. Self-preservation is important, too.

Do what you can to help people, but don’t sacrifice yourself on the altar of someone else’s drama.

6. Laugh at the stupid stuff.

This rule probably doesn’t mean what you think.

I’m just saying that if you feel like laughing at Brian Posehn, or that guy with the puppets, or even Larry the Cable Guy, it’s okay.

I’m going to judge you a little — but my opinion doesn’t really matter.

Go ahead and laugh.

7. Stop worrying about what other people think.

This is one of those rules that most people don’t realize until they hit their 30s. That said, it’s the rule I wish I had learned this much, much earlier. It would have saved me a lot of hassle and hurt.

You’re a unique, exceptional person. You are who you perceive yourself to be. Don’t let others define you.

You’ll be a better, more interesting person for it.

But, hey… don’t take my word for it.

8. Accept that not everyone is going to think like you.

This is a good thing.

9. Cut out the toxic people.

Remember that racist uncle mentioned back in Rule #3?

Cut him out of your life, and you’ll likely be better off. Sure, you might get some blowback from the rest of your family, but cutting loose that negativity and anger from your life are necessary to help keep you sane.

The same goes for the negative coworkers and the guy on the corner who keeps barking at you.

Focus your attention, instead, on those people who make you feel good to be around.

10. Stop overthinking.

If you’ve spent more than a minute or two thinking about this list, you’re overthinking.

Just go with what feels right.

This is the easy stuff.

These suggestions are pretty easy to enact. Ridiculously easy, even.

If you’re having trouble with any of them or think your problems are more extensive than this list addresses, go ahead and talk with someone.

Talk with an expert. (Note: I am not an expert. I’m just this guy you happened to run across.)

Don’t be afraid to get help when you need it or to take it when it’s offered.

Just try not to go it alone.

We’re all in this together, so take advantage of that.

Peace.

Thank you for reading. I’d love to share more with you via my Bi-Weekly Word Roundup newsletter sent to subscribers every other Sunday. It will feature news, productivity tips, life hacks, and links to top stories making the rounds on the Internet. You can unsubscribe at any time.