There are no rules – just the Happy Class

There are no rules, only respect for yourself and others. 

If you can keep this concept near the center of all you do, it makes being happy easier.

It’s really two concepts pulled together. 

First is ‘no rules’.If you had no rules, then there would be no expectations of others and thus no disappointments. No disappointments would mean a higher ‘tide’ of True Happiness. 

‘No rules’ also means to set others free to decide on their own what they will do. (“If you love someone, set them free.” great Sting song lyrics.) By not trying to control others, you save energy and disappointment for yourself, and others will respond with a genuine interest in you if they really do care about what you are proposing.

That said, humans are not too good with ‘no rules’. They seem to need some guidance. One of my favorite movie lines is when the main character in the sci-fi movie KPac is asked why there were no laws on his planet – his answer ‘Every creature in God’s universe knows the difference between right and wrong.’ – Despite that, humans seem to need more.

So I add the concept of respect, first for yourself and then for others. A simple example would be that out of respect for yourself, you wouldn’t give yourself drugs that destroy your brain, and certainly, out of respect for others, you wouldn’t give those drugs to anyone else.

Another example could be keeping your room neat. You might make your bed every morning out of respect for yourself, wanting to see a nice bed when you get home in the evening. Out of respect for others, just closing the door to your room should be enough so they do not have to see your mess.

This combination of no rules and respect goes a long way when being a parent. Before telling your child what to do, consider why you are doing it. Is it out of respect, or just some old rule you thought was right….?

Try this out on yourself – and others. It just might set yourself free.