Tom’s Twelve Laws of Life
An extremely interesting article to read.. and digest. and follow…
Most of the “laws” mentioned are actually nothing but principles or techniques that self help books and magazines mention – however the way they have been represented here is a lil different and in a way nice – some of the points mentioned are absolutely so true and probably nothing new, but the entire presentation of these thoughts are what makes a difference.
I have listed the 12 “laws” below for a quick read – but read the actual post for a better understanding.
1. Self-management and people skills are the keys to your success and happiness.
2. You are at the center of your universe. Stay there!
3. What you think about most is what you get.
4. You make your habits and then your habits make you.
5. Guilt enslaves you. Responsibility liberates you.
6. “obligations” are a fraud.
7. Expect less from others and more from yourself.
8. Nobody wakes up in the morning choosing to be the villain.
9. There is no “happily ever after” in the real world.
10. There is a hell, and it starts early.
11. You can create paradise on earth. Many people do.
12. It’s never too late to change.
My Thoughts about this article:
Law 1 is the skill of articulation and I have seen that the most successful people are those who are able to articulate their position best – so I completely agree..
Law 3 is what the book “Secret” by Rhonda Byrne is all about – and I personally realized this when I was about to buy a car.. during that 1 month period when I was deciding on what car I should buy, all I could see on the roads were different models of cars and I was mentally comparing the dimensions, colours etc. Whenever I was talking to someone, I was only asking questions about the usability and mileage etc. In essence, my mind was so filled with the thought of a car, that I could only see cars all around. This is so very synonymous to being in love – especially first love – where everything you see, feel and hear is lovely.
Law 6: My brother ALWAYS talks about this and how no one is obligated to anybody. We, as kids, we brought up in a world where we would never ask anyone for any obligation – since obligation begets response in kind… However, if you go back to the Bhagavad Gita where it talks of
"Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,
Translated to English which means..
"You have a right to perform your prescribed action,but you are not entitled to the fruits of your action.”
In simple terms, what it means is – Do what your duty is – don’t expect the rewards to follow. Any action done without the expectation of the resultant benefit is an action that is dissolved of Obligation. So in essence, if everyone is doing their duty, then there is no obligation – for anyone , to anyone.
Some interesting links for the essence of the verse and what this means.. Here, here and here
Law 12: This is so absolutely true… most of the time people think that it is too late to change – however it NEVER late to change – but the toughest part is to get the people who matter to notice that you are changing – most of the time, an attempt to change does not fail due to lack of encouragement, but fails only when someone discourages you. The trick is to be vocal about the fact that you are trying to change – just that statement will make people think before they discourage you. It also acts as a confidence booster for yourself.
Closing remarks: Excellent article, read it – use what you want to and it sure will make an impact on your life.
