9 Rules to Master Life

Back in college, I took a summer job inspecting empty dorm rooms. The work itself was repetitive and grueling, but the part I enjoyed the most was my boss, Heloisa. She was from Brazil and I remember the great philosophical and cultural conversations we had about life and all of its many facets.

Recently, I was cleaning up some old computer files and I found a document that she had sent me after one such conversation. In it, she outlined some key steps to grow and expand the way we look at the world. She gave me that list more than thirty years ago, but it’s just as relevant today as it was back then. I wanted to share it with you in hopes that you get as much from it as I have.

1. Be fully willing to defer gratification.

2. Have a relentless commitment to the truth about the way things really are.

3. Maintain full accountability that you are a part, source, cause or agent of your life and everything that happens in it.

4. Live courageously and take creative action in the presence of fear.

5. Have confidence in your own capacity to analyze what’s going on around you.

6. Be tolerant of ambiguity.

7. Maintain your skepticism about certified truth.

8. Appreciate the value of a sense of humor.

9. Be willing to engage in risky commitments when they seem warranted.

As you move through periods of transition in your job and in your private life, you’re going to run into uncertainty and change. The answers to your problems may not be readily apparent. You may not know how to act. The path ahead is clouded with too many options-or not enough.

If you have a clear vision of where you’re headed and you’re willing to lean on one colleagues and family members when you need help, even if you’re in a leadership position, you can get through anything that comes your way. Stay focused, give and receive support and keep up the great work that you’re doing.