Day 6: Write Your Personal Ten Commandments
Today’s Daily Stoic Challenge is all about documenting your life’s principles. While we can look to Moses for the initial commandments for life, more recently Ray Dalio’s definition has re-energized business leaders: “Principles are ways of successfully dealing with reality to get what you want out of life.” What are the rules you want to guide you, especially when the going gets tough? What are the mindsets and habits that you want to embody in order to live out your unique expression in the world? And, above all, what are you willing to put in writing for all the world to see and to assess whether or not you are living up to those standards?
This challenge has felt especially difficult for me today, and I think a big part of that is that I know what my personal ten commandments are, but I have not been living up to them in a way that I can feel proud about. I will share what I want my ten commandments to be, even though I have fallen far short of them. Today is a new day, the new year challenge is upon me, and I can choose to act in accordance with my highest self.
I will…
- Love my body and nourish it with whole foods and exercise.
- Speak positive words and ideas out into the world.
- Seek the truth and be open to changing my opinion.
- Have fun learning new skills, hobbies, or ways of living in the world.
- Express my opinions from a place of compassion and truth.
- Go out of my way to express gratitude for the people in my life.
- Perform to the best of my ability in all situations.
- Listen to my inner wisdom and take leaps of faith as I am called.
- Create unlimited financial wealth for me and my family.
- Act courageously in the face of fear or uncertainty.