Get ready to experience the Rules effect. Begin to get more out of life, shrug off adversity more easily and generally be a happier, calmer, more fulfilled person. Youll feel the benefits, and so will everyone around you.
A personal code for living your life your way.
From a very young age you've been inundated with other people's well-intended rules. Whether from teachers, friends or parents, these helpful principles and bits of gracious advice are supposed to help you get on in life. The trouble is, many of these rules aren't true (at least not all the time) and yet they have a major influence on your life whether you realise it or not.
How do you sort the gold dust from the sawdust?
In The Rules to Break, international bestselling author Richard Templar exposes the most common phoney rules, explains what's wrong with them and then offers a refreshing alternative and a new way of thinking. Above all, he'll help you master the ability to truly think for yourself, so than you can follow a path that you've chosen, rather than blindly following someone else's.
1 Success is a good job earning lots of money Rule 1: Success
is what you say it is 2 Some people are just born lucky Rule 2:
Don't envy other people 3 You need the right qualifications Rule
3: Exams aren't the be all and end all 4 Your parents are always
right Rule 4: Don't expect your parents to be perfect 5 Your
parents are responsible for how you turn out Rule 5: Give your parents
a break 6 The world is against you Rule 6: You're responsible
for your own life 7 We all have an absolute right to be respected
Rule 7: There's a balance between the right to respect, and tolerance 8
You can choose your friends but you can't choose your family Rule 8:
Your siblings should be your best friends for life 9 Teacher knows
best Rule 9: Getting on at school is not the same as getting on in
life 10 Have something to say for yourself Rule 10: If you find
it hard to talk, try listening 11 Some people are just difficult
Rule 11: No one chooses to be difficult without a reason 12 Don't
waste your time on people who aren't worth it Rule 12: Suffer fools
gladly. Well, suffer them, anyway 13 You can't be cheerful if you're
in pain Rule 13: Pain doesn't have to make you miserable 14 Good
work speaks for itself Rule 14: No one at work will know how good you
are unless you tell them 15 Do what it takes to get what you want
Rule 15: Don't emotionally blackmail people 16 A place for
everything, and everything in its place Rule 16: It's not morally
superior to be tidy 17 It matters what other people think Rule
17: Don't live for other people's approval 18 Give as good as you
get Rule 18: You get what you give 19 Stick with your own
kind Rule 19: Your friends don't all need to be like you 20 The
best things in life are free Rule 20: Everything worth having hurts
21 You can change people Rule 21: Don't try to change people 22
It's where you're going that matters, not where you came from Rule
22: Be proud of your roots 23 Friends are for life Rule 23:
Friends come and go 24 Mistakes are a bad thing Rule 24:
Mistakes can be good 25 Be a friend to everybody Rule 25: You
don't have to like everyone 26 . . . and everybody will be your
friend Rule 26: . . . and not everyone will like you 27 If you
don't like it, tough56 Rule 27: Remember, you have a choice 28
You need to get your chores over with Rule 28: Life's all about the
little things 29 Stay true to your dreams Rule 29: Priorities
change over the years 30 People have a right to know Rule 30:
Know how to keep a secret 31 Face your fears Rule 31: Replace
the bad thoughts 32 Make a New Year's resolution every year Rule
32: You can't change habits unless you want to 33 Respect the
elderly Rule 33: Respect everyone 34 Look after number one
Rule 34: Helping other people makes you feel good about yourself 35 If
you're in the firing line, keep your head down Rule 35: They can't walk
all over you unless you're lying down 36 Just ignore the bullies
Rule 36: Don't let 'em bully you 37 Think on your feet Rule 37:
Be in control 38 What you do is more important than why you do it
Rule 38: Be honest with yourself 39 You can judge a book by its
cover Rule 39: Everyone has a backstory 40 Put the past behind
you Rule 40: You have to deal with your stuff before you can get on
with your life 41 What about me? Rule 41: It's not all about
you 42 Just once won't hurt Rule 42: Don't let bad habits get a
foot in the door 43 Be spontaneous Rule 43: Listen to the voices
in your head 44 Take one step at a time Rule 44: If you want big
things to change, you have to make big changes 45 The best people will
be there for you for life Rule 45: People come and go, and it's OK
46 Enjoy yourself while you're young Rule 46: Your body is for life
47 Borrowing is OK so long as you can pay it back Rule 47: Don't
get into debt 48 Be generous Rule 48: Never lend money unless
you're prepared to write it off 49 Believe you're the best Rule
49: Know your real worth 50 Don't allow people to make you feel bad
Rule 50: The only thing you can control is you 51 Some people just
get to you Rule 51: No one can make you feel anything 52 You
can't help how you feel Rule 52: You feel what you think 53
Actions speak louder than words Rule 53: Don't take anyone for
granted 54 Avoid unnecessary displays of emotion Rule 54: Say
thank you out loud 55 The internet makes you anonymous Rule 55:
The Rules don't stop online 56 Always seek to improve yourself
Rule 56: Accept your shortcomings 57 Strive for perfection Rule
57: Perfection can be a handicap 58 You are the product of your
genes Rule 58: You are the sum of your experiences (so make them
good) 59 Tomorrow is another day Rule 59: How you spend your
day is how you spend your life 60 There aren't enough hours in the
day Rule 60: Know your limitations 61 Always get off on the
right foot from the start Rule 61: Bide your time to make a good
impression 62 Confident people know where they're going Rule 62:
Everyone else is as lost as you 63 Stand out from the crowd Rule
63: There's a fine line between being ubercool and being a total prat 64
Appearances matter
Rule 64: Be happy with the way you look 65 It's just a drop in the
ocean Rule 65: The insignificant is important 66 The job comes
first Rule 66: Don't mistake your career for your life 67 Get it
all out in the open Rule 67: Avoid conflict 68 If you know
you're in the right, don't back down Rule 68: Don't be afraid of
compromise 69 Some people are just asking for it Rule 69: Keep
the moral high ground 70 It's good to let your feelings out Rule
70: Don't trample on other people's emotions 71 No one is perfect
Rule 71: Be on the side of the angels, not the beasts 72 Meet your
deadlines Rule 72: Keep ahead of deadlines 73 Give good
advice Rule 73: Don't give advice 74 Let people know when you're
right Rule 74: Never say I told you so' 75 Stick to what you're
good at Rule 75: Stretch yourself 76 You've a right to be
treated fairly Rule 76: Stop expecting life to be fair 77 The
more you learn about a subject, the more of an expert you become Rule
77: The more you know, the more you don't 78 You can't learn anything
from a fool Rule 78: Learn from other people's mistakes 79 If
you're going to do something, do it properly Rule 79: You don't have to
jump in the deep end 80 Stick with what you know Rule 80: Step
out of your comfort zone 81 People will judge you by what you own
Rule 81: Don't try to keep up with the Joneses 82 Hide your
mistakes Rule 82: Remember, you could be wrong someone has to be
83 Live in the present Rule 83: Keep perspective 84 Know what
you want Rule 84: You don't have to know what you want 85 Guilt
tells you where you're going wrong Rule 85: Don't do guilt 86
Someone will make it better Rule 86: Pick yourself up (no one else
will do it for you) 87 Think through your problems Rule 87:
Thinking hard doesn't always help 88 Narrow down your options
Rule 88: Look at all the options 89 Stick to a plan Rule 89:
Life is unpredictable 90 Trust no one Rule 90: Trust everyone
91 Trust everyone Rule 91: Trust no one 92 Sometimes you
need a good moan Rule 92: There are people who moan, and people who
just get on with it 93 Don't sacrifice yourself for a relationship
Rule 93: It's the compromises that make relationships worth having 94
Feelings should be rational Rule 94: Feelings aren't right or wrong
they just are 95 Eat, drink and be merry . . . Rule 95: Stay
alive 96 I want doesn't get Rule 96: Ask for what you want
97 If it ain't broke, don't fix it Rule 97: Look up 98 Find
yourself a safe job Rule 98: Follow your passion 99 Protect your
property Rule 99: People are more important than things 100 You
can't change horses in midstream Rule 100: It's never too late to start
following the real Rules
Rules to follow 1 No man is an island 2 Two wrongs
don't make a right 3 When in Rome, do as the Romans 4 Don't
judge a book by its cover 5 For every action there is an equal and
opposite reaction 6 There's no such thing as a free lunch 7 Do
as you would be done by 8 The pen is mightier than the sword 9
Keep dry, and away from children 10 Give it time
Richard Templar is the author of the international bestselling Rules books. Over 2 million people around the world have enjoyed and now play by Richard Templar's Rules. The complete list of titles is as follows: The Rules of Life, The Rules of Work, The Rules of Management, The Rules of Wealth, The Rules of Parenting, The Rules of Love, The Rules to Break, The Rules of People, The Rules of Thinking, and The Rules of Living Well.
