23. Rules, part two

Hobblestone is on vacation. The story will resume after I get some feedback. In the meantime, here are the rest of the Rules we've compiled so far:

XXIII. All the Rules so Far (second half)

And so we continue. Have you communicated with me yet? You never know, you might actually influence where this blog goes. Go ahead. Give it a try. Even if you’re not sure where it will lead you. (Look up Rule # 177).

Rule # 71: It’s okay for friends to look askance at one another when the situation warrants it.

Rule # 72: Inner peace comes to those who harbor no residual resentment, bitterness, dismay or grudges.

Rule # 73: Self-awareness brings us a greater degree of freedom than we had when we were unconscious or ignorant.

Rule # 74: When we’re aware that we have a certain weakness, at least we can do our best to compensate for it.

Rule # 75: Don’t ever tell anyone that you “feel their pain.” That’s stupid and patronizing. No one can feel the pain except for the person who’s experiencing the pain.

Rule # 86: We all have our good points.

Rule # 88: When we’re in a Good Place, others benefit from it.

Rule # 89: Once we’re aware that we have Good Places as well as Bad Places we are better able to negotiate our way between the two.  See Rule # 73.

Rule # 90: Gratitude opens the bridge back to the Good Place.

Rule # 94: With practice, we can learn to build bridges which take us to our Good Places.

Rule # 95: Sometimes there are people in our lives who help us build bridges to our Good Places. It’s a good idea to stay in touch with them.

Rule # 96: Faith helps build bridges.

Rule # 97: Often bridges appear at just the right time, but not before, and sometimes we can’t see what’s on the other side of the bridge. This is OK. Get used to it.

Rule # 98: The Bad Place can reach out with its tentacles and pull us right out of our Good Place.

Rule # 103: It’s okay to get made at God once in a while; he’s God: he can take it. But don’t overdo it.

Rule # 110: Envy gives no pleasure.

Rule #111: It would be a better world if we all gave away our kittens when someone else wanted or needed them.

Rule # 114: When people are challenged more than they are ready for, sometimes they have to walk away.

Rule # 115: Waiting in silence is often a good thing to do when others are in distress.

Rule # 123: People who pray often have experiences which serve to deepen their faith. Try it and find out for yourself.

Rule # 124: When we ask for help, it often comes in the most unexpected ways, thank God.

Rule # 125: Sometimes God chooses not to use us to help somebody. We have to surrender that and not go on trying to fix things on our own. He’ll decide who’s going to help. After all, we can’t all be going about trying to save the world. Jesus did that; all we can do is help in our little ways when and if he wants us to.

Rule # 133: Sometimes we decide not to cross a particular bridge but the bridge just stays there, waiting until the day we change our minds. Not all bridges do this, however, so be careful.

Rule # 134: Sometimes we don’t cross the bridges what would lead us to a New Way of Living. When that happens, we lose out on something, and we’ll never know what is we lost.

Rule # 135: We often are the authors of our own misery.

Rule # 136: Evil seeks the destruction of innocent victims. It that’s true, then we also have to ask: Who or what is it that can destroy evil? The answer to this is very important.

Rule # 140: The stuff that matters the most is the stuff that you can’t count.

Rule # 147: We can only learn what we’re ready to learn; we can only understand what we’re ready to understand. If you don’t understand this, you’re not ready. Just relax.

Rule # 177: If you don’t step out into the unknown at times, you can never accomplish anything spectacular.

Rule # 200: Evil sometimes works through people. Even good people.

Rule # 201: Sometimes, the doers of evil are victims themselves.

XXII. "Rules" part one

XXII. The Rules So Far (first half)

                Somebody wrote me and asked if I had a list of the rules in numerical order. I decided that’s a good idea. And by the way, I like it when somebody writes me with an idea of question. I would also like it if someone would post a comment from time to time, but that isn’t happening yet. But it won’t hurt to ask, will it? I won’t make a Rule out of that because there are a lot of times when it would hurt to ask. Hobblestone learned all about that one day recently. I’ll tell you about it later. First, here is a list of all the Rules you’ve met so far. My goodness, there are a lot of them.

If you want to see any of these rules in context, you need to go back and read the blog from the beginning.

Rule # 1: The decisions we make cause changes in others’ lives as well.

Rule #2: There’s a configuration meant only for you.

Rule # 3: When we don’t know where a bridge is taking us, sometimes we just have to trust; other times we have to get off the bridge before it’s too late.

Rule # 4: When you block someone’s bridge you might do them harm. In fact, you might also do harm to yourself because you’ll miss out on the benefits the world will enjoy if the bridge you’re blocking manages to get crossed in spite of you.

Rule # 5: If you’ve never been “there,” or if you’ve never done “it”,let people know that before you start to bother them with your advice about it. In most cases, you’re probably better off not saying anything at all.

Rule # 6: Don’t take rules for granted. If possible, check them out to see if they’re true or valid, up-to-date or obsolete, and if your gut tells you whether or not they’re to be trusted. And apply this rule to this rule lest you be led astray.

Rule # 9: Good _________ takes time!

Rule # 10: One can have a lucrative job and yet continue to grow poorer in the things that Really Matter. 

Rule # 11: Life isn’t linear. 

Rule # 12: Sometimes you’re sowing seeds and you’re not even aware of it. 

Rule # 13: Just because you think it is so doesn’t mean that it actually is so. Opinions are not facts. 

Rule # 14: Sometimes you never know; you never really know. 

Rule # 15: When you don’t know, it’s better to keep silent. 

Rule # 16: We will only know what will happen when it happens. We have to just wait and see. 

Rule # 18: Be careful when you’re sowing seeds; you never know what they’ll grow up to become. 

Rule # 27: It’s ok to cry. Even if you’re grown up. Even if you’re a man. 

Rule # 34: When you write your own blog, you’re allowed to split infinitives whenever you want. 

Rule # 35: It is wise to find out how your teachers (or editors) feel about split infinitives before you go and split your own. 

Rule # 36: When you’re reading a book and you get stuck in a boring part, it’s okay to skip over it (unless it’s going to be on the test).  

Rule # 45: Sometimes it’s better when you decide to just be friends. 

Rule # 52: You’ll be better off if you don’t let yourself get distracted by trivial curiosities. 

Rule # 53: There are some things you can put off if you’re Not in the Mood. However, this rule hardly ever applies to firemen, policemen, emergency room doctors and nurses, and many others, including little boys who have been told For the Third Time to clean up their rooms or go to bed. 

Rule # 67. Life is a mystery. 

Rule # 68. You are a mystery. 

Rule # 69: Stop trying to figure out what can’t be figured out.

Rule # 70: We are often blind, even when we don’t realize it.

 I’ll give the rest of them next time. Now, think about writing me a note, ok?