Rules for Living.

1. Be respectful of others. This includes people online. If you think someone is being petty or stupid online, don't say it. That's rude. It hurts people's feelings. And why would you want to do that? If someone says something (especially online) with which you disagree, ignore it. Don't hurt others.

2. Be respectful of the earth. I know there are people who don't believe in global warming, or who think it's natural, not man-made. That's fine. It's still not an excuse to mistreat the only place you'll ever live. Try to buy locally, and recycle. Think about what has to happen for things to come to you - a plastic trinket from China is made from oil, in a factory that is probably spewing toxins into the air and water, and then it gets shipped to the US, using fossil fuels and confusing (and often killing) whales, and then it's put on a truck, using more fossil fuels, to get to the store where you bought it. Before you mindlessly buy a cheap widget that you really don't need, think about all it's been through. Is it worth it?

3. Never feel sorry for yourself. No matter what you're going through - and I know we're all going through something - it doesn't have to be a tragedy. Treat your adversities as learning experiences, and glean some wisdom from that which you cannot control.

4. Love your body. Mothers, you are your child's earliest teacher. Every little thing you say, even your body language, teaches your child how to think, how to feel, what values are important. If you are constantly berating yourself - even if you're not saying it aloud - your child is picking up on it. Don't pass your negative body image on to your children. Your daughters will learn that certain body types are more desirable, and will probably not have that body type, and you will have, unconsciously, passed on a lot more than genetics. Your sons will learn the same thing, and will learn that certain women are more desirable than others. This is a human tragedy, and you do not need to pass it on. Love your bodies. You are amazing and valuable at any size or shape.

5. Love what you do. I don't care what you do, but whatever it is, love it. When you are old, you will look back on your life and wonder where it went. (Ask any old person, and they will tell you. In retrospect, a whole lifetime feels like a month.) Spend every minute you can doing what you love. And if you can't, love what you're doing. Fake it. It takes awhile, but if you pretend to love doing dishes, guess what? Eventually, you will.

6. Don't judge. Until you are living a perfectly clean life, with absolutely no mistakes whatsoever, you are in no position to judge others. Let them live their lives - your passing judgement will literally have no effect on them at all. Don't waste your energy.

7. Make sure your words are truthful. Deceitful words hurt everyone - both the deceiver and the deceived. There is nothing to lose by being truthful - the long term rewards far outweigh the short term "benefits."



I have more rules for living, but these are the ones I could think of and explain right off the top of my head. You don't have to follow them, I'm not suggesting that at all. These are things that are important to me and that I try to follow at all times.