Monday’s Meditations: On The Four Rules

July 23, 2012

Happy Monday, macaroons!

I came across these four rules for life in the textbook of some otherwise totally dumb college course I took, the subject of which I can’t even recall it was such an insipid waste of time. Point being, these words stuck out to me among the otherwise drab content, so much so that I ran and got a notebook, jotted them down, and have been referring back to them ever since.

In attempting to uncover the source of these rules, I ran into an interesting problem: nearly everyone and their little aunty Sue are attributed: the Basque people, indigenous groups, 13th century Sufi wisdom, Angeles Arrien, and a famous acting coach.

But of course that’s the point. These four powerful actions are not just a string of words conceived by one especially enlightened person in time; they couldn’t be. Oh, maybe somebody down the line attached a name to them, but the rules were there long before he did so. They are the most basic actions we engage in as human beings. They are coded somewhere deep inside of us, so that we may not realize that we have been following them, but we feel when we have diverted from them.

They are universally applicable. They are simplistic, and they are self-explanatory, and they are, at the very same time, totally ambiguous. And they are designed that way so that every person may incorporate them into their own version of life.

* * *

Show up: Put forth yourself and your unique gifts. Be there, in mind and body. Be visible. Be a living example.

Pay attention: Stay alert, be perceptive, soak in the situation. Listen. Stay present. Reserve judgment. See what others are missing. Look with compassion and curiosity.

Tell the truth: Speak words of truth and live your truth. Do not compromise your values or goals or way of being. Keep it real. Do not say “yes” when you mean “no.” Honor others with your honesty.

Don’t be attached to the outcome: Recognize the boundaries of your control. Release your hold and remain open. Invest but remember that nothing is permanent. Invest wholly in only what is real; that is love, for one. Remember that you will find a way to make it work, that one outcome is just that. Remember infinite.

* * *

This week, bring these four rules to the forefront of your mind. Shape your days according to all four rules, or choose to focus your energies on just one. Try doing as I have done above; list each rule along with what it means for you presently. Be as specific or as general as you want.

This is just another step on the path to living purposefully.

A good week–

– A.T.

4 Comments

  1. escapade on July 23, 2012 at 10:39 am

    Love this! Perfect start to Monday + so timely for where Im at right now…

  2. viv on July 23, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    Perfect post for a Monday! xx

  3. Emily on July 23, 2012 at 3:57 pm

    Agreed times four! I need to remember the last point the most. I’m always holding on to things way too tightly. Remember infinite. Love that!

  4. Rachel {little bits of lovely} on July 24, 2012 at 3:20 am

    These are great rules to live by Annie + agree they are so succint yet encompass so much about what truly matters xx

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4 Comments

  1. escapade on July 23, 2012 at 10:39 am

    Love this! Perfect start to Monday + so timely for where Im at right now…

  2. viv on July 23, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    Perfect post for a Monday! xx

  3. Emily on July 23, 2012 at 3:57 pm

    Agreed times four! I need to remember the last point the most. I’m always holding on to things way too tightly. Remember infinite. Love that!

  4. Rachel {little bits of lovely} on July 24, 2012 at 3:20 am

    These are great rules to live by Annie + agree they are so succint yet encompass so much about what truly matters xx

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