Here’s the rest of it; the first post would have been too long so I divided the material.
Cherie Carter-Scott’s Rules of Life
Rule One – You will receive a body. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s yours for life, so accept it. What counts is what’s inside.
Rule Two – You will be presented with lessons. Life is a constant learning experience, which every day provides opportunities for you to learn more. These lessons specific to you, and learning them ‘is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life’.
Rule Three – There are no mistakes, only lessons. Your development towards wisdom is a process of experimentation, trial and error, so it’s inevitable things will not always go to plan or turn out how you’d want. Compassion is the remedy for harsh judgement – of ourselves and others. Forgiveness is not only divine – it’s also ‘the act of erasing an emotional debt’. Behaving ethically, with integrity, and with humour – especially the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mishaps – are central to the perspective that ‘mistakes’ are simply lessons we must learn.
Rule Four – The lesson is repeated until learned. Lessons repeat until learned. What manifest as problems and challenges, irritations and frustrations are more lessons – they will repeat until you see them as such and learn from them. Your own awareness and your ability to change are requisites of executing this rule. Also fundamental is the acceptance that you are not a victim of fate or circumstance – ‘causality’ must be acknowledged; that is to say: things happen to you because of how you are and what you do. To blame anyone or anything else for your misfortunes is an escape and a denial; you yourself are responsible for you, and what happens to you. Patience is required – change doesn’t happen overnight, so give change time to happen.
Rule Five – Learning does not end. While you are alive there are always lessons to be learned. Surrender to the ‘rhythm of life’, don’t struggle against it. Commit to the process of constant learning and change – be humble enough to always acknowledge your own weaknesses, and be flexible enough to adapt from what you may be accustomed to, because rigidity will deny you the freedom of new possibilities.
Rule Six – “There” is no better than “here”. The other side of the hill may be greener than your own, but being there is not the key to endless happiness. Be grateful for and enjoy what you have, and where you are on your journey. Appreciate the abundance of what’s good in your life, rather than measure and amass things that do not actually lead to happiness. Living in the present helps you attain peace.
Rule Seven – Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs.
Rule Eight – What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. Take responsibility for yourself. Learn to let go when you cannot change things. Don’t get angry about things – bitter memories clutter your mind. Courage resides in all of us – use it when you need to do what’s right for you. We all possess a strong natural power and adventurous spirit, which you should draw on to embrace what lies ahead.
Rule Nine – Your answers lie inside of you. Trust your instincts and your innermost feelings, whether you hear them as a little voice or a flash of inspiration. Listen to feelings as well as sounds. Look, listen, and trust. Draw on your natural inspiration.
Rule Ten – You will forget all this at birth. We are all born with all of these capabilities – our early experiences lead us into a physical world, away from our spiritual selves, so that we become doubtful, cynical and lacking belief and confidence. The ten Rules are not commandments, they are universal truths that apply to us all. When you lose your way, call upon them. Have faith in the strength of your spirit. Aspire to be wise – wisdom is the ultimate path of your life, and it knows no limits other than those you impose on yourself.
This summary is merely a brief outline
My dad gave me a copy of this cd, ‘every body is free ..by baz lurman,’ wen i got home from boarding skool after my final exams. i was in d class of ’99 ! here are the lyrics
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
Wear sunscreen
> If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
> it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
> scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
> than my own meandering
> experience…I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
> But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
> recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
> you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
> imagine.
>
> Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
> effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
> bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
> never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
> on some idle Tuesday.
>
> Do one thing everyday that scares you
>
> Sing
>
> Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
> people who are reckless with yours.
>
> Floss
>
> Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
> you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
> yourself.
>
> Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
> succeed in doing this, tell me how.
>
> Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
>
> Stretch
>
> Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
> life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
> wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
> olds I know still don’t.
>
> Get plenty of calcium.
>
> Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
>
> Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
> you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
> chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
> congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
> choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
> use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
> think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
> own..
>
> Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
>
> Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
>
> Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
>
> (Brother and sister together we’ll make it through
> Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there
> I know you’ve been hurting, and I know I’ve been waiting to be there
> for you. And I’ll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
> Everybody’s free.)
>
> Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
> good.
>
> Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
> people most likely to stick with you in the future.
>
> Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
> should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
> lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
> knew when you were young.
>
> Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
> in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
>
> Travel.
>
> Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
> philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
> that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
> noble and children respected their elders.
>
> Respect your elders.
>
> Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
> maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
> might run out.
>
> Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re 40, it will
> look 85.
>
> Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
> supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
> fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
> ugly parts and recycling it for more than
> it’s worth.
>
> But trust me on the sunscreen…
>
> (Brother and sister together we’ll make it through
> Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there
> I know you’ve been hurting, and I know I’ve been waiting to be there
> for you. And I’ll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.
> Everybody’s free.)