Forget The Motivational Quotes: 45 Cardinal Rules You Need To Live Life By

I recently Tumbled (yes, I’m a Tumblr fan) across a very interesting post about the "7 Cardinal Rules For Life" and couldn’t help falling in love with the idea of it. Included in the post were some very powerful and simple ideas on how to live.

However, I felt that seven was just 38 too few and there needed to be some more rules because as we all know, there’s a lot of sh*t in life we need to get through.

Throughout our lives, we’ve been given a hefty dose of advice and “words of wisdom” from our friends, family and anyone else who just feels like talking.

And I can tell you that it’s been way more than seven dainty phrases. We’ve collected a book filled with one-liners and prolific phrases that are supposed to be our guides through life.

We’ve been told to keep our friends close, our enemies closer and everyone else at an arm's length. We’ve been told to speak when spoken to, give thanks and, as always, to follow our hearts.

However, words are many times overlooked and overheard, going in one ear and out the other, as many times we don’t even understand what the advice means or how it pertains to our lives.

Many times we’re left in the dark because our parents give us these expressions with no explanation. They give us the first part of the problem, but never the second.

They give us the reasoning, but never the answer. We’ve collected years worth of expressions and tokens of wisdom, but no real insight into them.

So, in light of a life full of empty words and useless expressions, we’ve collected the best words of advice and their simple reasoning to generate one simple guide on how to live.

1. Be the person you want to be, because you have to see that person every day.

2. Stay true to yourself, because no one respects a follower.

3. Treat your body like a temple, because unlike Long Island, you only have one.

4. Be nice to your parents, because they might not be around much longer.

5. Cherish love when you find it, because it’s rare.

6. Always take the high road, because the low road is never as fun.

7. Share your wealth, because it’s not fun to spend it alone.

8. Never place happiness on material possessions, because they usually break.

9. Remember those who helped you, because they haven’t forgotten.

10. Help those in need, because you never know when you’ll need them.

11. Stop thinking so much, because your thoughts are the root of most of your problems.

12. Only say nice things, because bad words make even worse enemies.

13. Follow your heart, because there’s no better guide.

14. Give thanks, because it’s way better than asking for forgiveness.

15. Never lie, because you’ll always get caught.

16. Tell your mom you love her, because that’s all she wants to hear.

17. Sing when you feel like singing, because voices are meant to be heard.

18. Dance like nobody’s watching, because that’s how our bodies should move.

19. Always say I love you, because there’s no equivalent substitute.

20. Never cry over spilled milk, because it’s just milk.

21. Forget those who did you wrong, because they definitely forgot you.

22. Don’t discredit anyone, because you might need a job some day.

23. Keep your enemies close, because there’s no better place to keep your eyes on them.

24. Go to bed early, because it’s easier to get up in the morning.

25. Find the silver lining, unless there’s a golden one.

26. Never judge on first impressions, because people always surprise you.

27. Expect the worst, because it’s always better to be surprised than disappointed.

28. Forgive those who hurt you, because you’re only hurting yourself at this point.

29. Never follow the crowd, because you’re better than that.

30. Don’t rely on appearances, because looks fade.

31. Ask questions, because they’re the precursor to answers.

32. Respect your elders, because they’re smarter than you.

33. Make your own path, because it’s the only way to where you want to go.

34. Eat your vegetables, because it will be easier to poop.

35. Remember the good times, because bad times will give you an ulcer.

36. Work hard, because nothing good comes from being lazy.

37. Dream big, because small dreams are never worth the chase.

38. Start today, because tomorrow may never come.

39. Think for yourself, because you’re smarter than everyone else.

40. Be a dreamer, because no one likes a realist.

41. Think before speaking, because it always helps your case.

42. Don’t take life too seriously, because when it’s over you’ll feel like a fool.

43. Be a good friend, because the world needs more.

44. Look people in the eye, because everywhere else will seem disrespectful.

45. Be happy, because that’s the whole point.

Photo Courtesy: Tumblr