Rules of Life

1. Don’t fool yourself. There are no rules of life. As wise as you think you are, there’s no limit to the new mistakes you will make.

2. Cherish your friends and family. They are the only ones who will tolerate you. Who else will laugh at the same old jokes and stories as though they heard them for the first time?

3. Work hard and passionately, and play hard and passionately. Life seems pretty empty with either one alone. I spent the first fifty years on the first, and I intend to spend the next fifty on the second.

4. Hold close to your sense of wonder. Keep your mind open to new ideas, great ideas, crazy ideas, and big ideas. With enough grit, focus, and hard work, they really come true.

5. Banish conventional wisdom. It is the enemy of invention. I have none, as you all know, and only consider it a handicap in normal conversation.

6. Know that 99% of your fears never come true. Don’t be afraid of them. 99% of the things that get you come out of nowhere.

7. Always be honest. Do you know people who have lied to you? Do you know when they’ve stopped?

8. Persevere. People call problems HARD for a reason. Grip the problem with your full jaw, and hang on for the ride. It will drag you through the mud and scrape you until you’re raw. Don’t let go. Why is it that when you think you’ve succeeded that you’re most likely to fail? And when you think you’re failing that you’re most likely to succeed?

9. Keep a place for yourself, inside yourself, of inner peace and harmony. Don’t let the a**holes in no matter how hard they knock.

10. If you’re feeling pain, you are having a growth experience. It is amazing how many people are happy and eager to contribute to your growth.

11. Always try to be positive and happy. It’ll annoy everybody.

Have a good and happy life!