12 RULES OF MY LIFE
MATIN, N
RULE 1: ALWAYS FIND TIME FOR JOY
STORY: ONE NIGHT, FEELING OVERWHELMED BY
DEADLINES, I DECIDED TO MAKE PANCAKES AT
MIDNIGHT. THIS SPONTANEOUS ACT TURNED INTO A
CHERISHED MEMORY AND A REMINDER THAT JOY CAN
BE FOUND IN THE SIMPLEST ACTS, EVEN AMIDST
CHAOS.
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RULE 2: TRUST YOUR INTUITION, EVEN WHEN IT LEADS
YOU ASTRAY.
STORY: I ONCE GOT LOST DURING A HIKE BECAUSE I
FOLLOWED MY GUT INSTEAD OF THE MAP. IT LED ME
TO A BREATHTAKING VIEW I WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE
MISSED, TEACHING ME THE VALUE OF LISTENING TO
MY INNER VOICE.
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Rule 3: Generosity enriches the
giver more than the receiver.
Story: As a child, I gave the last
cookie to my sibling and saw their
joy. That moment of kindness
returned to me tenfold over the years
in unexpected ways.
RULE 4: EMBRACE THE
UNEXPECTED.
STORY: I ONCE RECEIVED A
PORCELAIN RHINO AS A GIFT,
AN ODD AND SEEMINGLY OUT-
OF-PLACE ITEM THAT BECAME
A CONVERSATION STARTER
AND A SYMBOL OF EMBRACING
LIFE'S SURPRISES.
RULE 5: THERE'S A LESSON IN EVERY SETBACK.
STORY: A RAINED-OUT PICNIC TURNED INTO AN
INDOOR ADVENTURE, WHERE I LEARNED NEW
RECIPES AND GAMES. IT TAUGHT ME THAT EVERY
DISAPPOINTMENT HAS A SILVER LINING IF YOU
LOOK FOR IT.
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RULE 6: REFLECT BEFORE YOU REACT.
STORY: AFTER WRITING AN ANGRY EMAIL, I
CHOSE NOT TO SEND IT. TIME PROVIDED
PERSPECTIVE, AND I RESOLVED THE ISSUE
CALMLY. THAT UNSENT LETTER IS A REMINDER
TO PAUSE AND REFLECT.
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RULE 7: LISTEN MORE THAN
YOU SPEAK.
STORY: IN A CROWDED
GALLERY, I ONCE OVERHEARD
A LIFE-CHANGING PIECE OF
ADVICE BECAUSE I WAS
LISTENING. IT REMINDED ME
THAT WISDOM OFTEN COMES
WHEN WE'RE QUIET.
Rule 8: Keep learning, even when it goes
unnoticed.
Story: I spent a year learning a new language in
secret. The personal satisfaction was immense,
proving that the pursuit of knowledge needs no
audience.
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RULE 9: FEAR OFTEN
LOOKS LARGER THAN IT IS.
STORY: AS A CHILD, I WAS
TERRIFIED OF SHADOWS
ON MY WALL UNTIL I
REALIZED THEY WERE JUST
MY TOYS. THIS TAUGHT ME
THAT MOST FEARS LOSE
THEIR POWER WHEN
CONFRONTED.
R U L E 10: S AYING YET.
STORY: I HAV E ALWAYS ST R U GGL ED W I T H F EEL I N G LI K E I AM NOT
GO O D EN O U GH O R T H AT I D O N 'T K N OW EN O U GH . B U T I H AV E
L EAR N ED T H AT AD D I N G T H E WO R D " YET " TO T H E EN D O F T H O SE
STAT EM EN TS C AN C O M P L ET ELY C H AN GE M Y M I N D SET. FO R EX AM P L E,
I N ST EAD O F SAYI N G " I D O N 'T K N OW H OW TO D O T H AT," I C AN SAY " I
D O N 'T K N OW H OW TO D O T H AT YET." T H I S SI M P L E C H AN GE R EM I N D S
M E THAT I AM C APAB L E O F L EAR N I N G AN D GROW I NG, AND I T HELP S
M E TO STAY M OT I VAT ED AN D P ER SI ST EN T.
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RULE 11: BE PRESENT.
STORY: IT IS EASY TO GET CAUGHT
UP IN THE PAST OR TO WORRY
ABOUT THE FUTURE, BUT I HAVE
FOUND THAT BEING PRESENT IN
THE MOMENT ALLOWS ME TO
FULLY EXPERIENCE AND ENJOY
LIFE. WHETHER IT 'S FOCUSING ON
THE TASK AT HAND, BEING FULLY
PRESENT WITH A LOVED ONE, OR
SIMPLY TAKING A FEW DEEP
BREATHS, BEING PRESENT HELPS
ME TO STAY GROUNDED AND
FOCUSED.
RULE 12: IT'S OKAY TO CHANGE DIRECTION.
STORY: I ONCE TOOK A WRONG TURN ON A
FAMILIAR TRAIL AND DISCOVERED A BEAUTIFUL,
UNEXPLORED PATH. IT WAS A LITERAL AND
METAPHORICAL LESSON THAT NEW DIRECTIONS
CAN LEAD TO WONDERFUL PLACES.
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