Rules of Life - as lived by a friend

In 2002 I worked on temporary assignment for a crackerjack manager.  She was bright, funny, effective.

Our team worked long hours together.  She was the one who took responsibility for solving problems and finding solutions.  By the way she lived, she taught wonderful life-lessons.  I wrote them down one day before the assignment ended.  Here’s what flowed from my fingers to the keyboard. 

• If it’s at all important, pray first.
• Pray first, Pray often.  Pray always. 
• If something doesn’t feel quite right, pause, step back.  Don’t proceed with anything that feels mushy.  Pray about it.
• Act on your intuitions.
• Be quick in obeying your highest sense of right.  If a direction or a conversation suddenly seems not quite right, don’t ignore that intuition.  Take control and move graciously in a right direction.
• Praise first, praise often, praise generously, praise exuberantly.  Praise whenever you can.  Find the good, and build on that.
• Support your team consistently. Publicly praise individuals.  Privately discuss needed improvements.
• Recognize incursion of evil and don’t tolerate it.
• Forgive and forget.  Move forward.
• Recognize your own shortcomings.  Be willing to apologize.
• Have fun.  Be fun.  Laugh often.  Laugh rather than cry.
• Laugh at yourself a lot.  Keep your jokes gentle.  Never joke, even a little, at someone else’s expense.  Use clever wit that uplifts.
• Keep your joy spontaneous.  Expect good from every direction.  Deny evil power, presence, activity.
• When you’ve worked long and hard all day, take a break.  Put on some good music and dance!
• Pray before speaking.  Keep your tongue a servant to kindness.
• Don't criticize.  Pray for the right wording to present criticism in a constructive way, so that it doesn’t even sound like criticism.
• Don’t personalize evil ever.
• Don’t argue.  Either contribute a constructive idea (perhaps through a carefully crafted question), or be quiet and pray.
• Keep your goals in focus.  Recognize and resist distractions.  Tangents, even worthy ones, are time-wasters if they do not immediately support the goal at hand.  Move them to another time, or eliminate them.
• Be willing to help.  Also see clearly when appropriate help lies in another direction, and point that direction.  Be firm on not getting involved when it is inappropriate.
• Don’t be wishy-washy.  Make your best decision at the time.  Be flexible and willing to change direction as new information comes to light.
• Go for the big picture.  Comprehending the big picture helps you make intelligent decisions.
• Be thorough in a project.  Pay attention to detail.  Every detail.  Assume nothing.
• Don’t get into the dream.  Life is not a burden, but a joy.  If you feel a burden you are in the dream.  Get out of the dream.  Refuse to be part of somebody else’s dream.
• Don't react even when reaction seems justified.  Stay quiet and pray   Find God’s power and strength.  You don’t always have to say something.  Your strength may be in active silence, in letting others feel you have listened.
• Stay humble by staying close to divine Love.