A gift to myself (and you as well!) on my twenty-fifth birthday; four standards to live by.

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You can call it what you want; optimism, mindfulness, thankfulness, positivity, gratitude etc. but the action and effect are still the same. Happiness and contentment are emotions we learn to develop, they don’t just happen automatically. It doesn’t matter how you go about it either; say a prayer of thanks, write down what you appreciated today, tweet with #gratitude or blog about your best moments. Focus on the good stuff. Be thankful. You’ll be better for it.

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We all need to learn how to stick up for ourselves, to leap into adventure, to be brave. Don’t forget that you are allowed to say no.  Cook without a recipe. Do not suffer idiots to waste your time or your friendship. Walk with your eyes closed. Be an artist.

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Don’t panic. Don’t worry about things you can’t control. It’s a useless waste of energy. Recognise that being stressed won’t solve any of your problems. Keep calm and carry on.

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Kindness matters. Charles Darwin once said “This virtue, one of the noblest with which man is endowed, seems to arise incidentally from our sympathies becoming more tender and more widely diffused, until they are extended to all sentient beings.” Once you recognise that we’re all essentially the same underneath it’s pretty easy from there. Be kind to strangers. Be kind to animals. Be kind to yourself.

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Autumn Leaves

What codes do you live by?