Rules

Recently my friends Isaac and Zak posted some of the “rules” they have for their own life. It seemed like a cool idea so I did the same thing, though many of these rules I break regularly and some are more like goals instead of laws in my life.

• Drink plenty of water: Cutting out soda and other beverages (except for evening beer and morning coffee) has really made me feel healthier. Sometimes I forget to drink water regularly throughout the day so I have an app called Plant Nanny that reminds me to drink water and rewards me with cute plants that grow.

Aren’t they cute? (Despite the terribly fuzzy picture)

• Apply my ethics to food: I strive to apply my ethical stances on harming others (basically, don’t harm others) to my food sources as well. That means I am generally vegan unless the food is going to go in the trash or is a gift from someone. A bonus to this is eating a minimally processed plant-based diet has been really healthy for me.
• Partners Come First: My sexual partners should have at least one orgasm before I have mine. Aside from just being polite, focusing on the pleasure and satisfaction of another person is an incredibly rewarding experience.
• Unfriend Negative People: I try to unfriend people on Facebook who contribute nothing of value to conversations and only serve to be a negative force. I don’t mind debate and discussion on my posts (though I think Facebook is a terrible platform for that) but some people seem to show up just to dash the happiness of others. I don’t need that in my life.
• Lose Pants: I take off pants (and all clothes) whenever possible. Environment often dictates this but if I am in a public or private place where nudity isn’t going to get me arrested or kicked out of a home then I will go au natural
• Educate Myself: The internet provides access to nearly endless amounts of education so I try to do Khan Academy or watch educational videos or listen to podcasts before I get on Facebook each morning. Similarly, I try to blog before Facebook each day (this is new though)
• Go Digital: When I want a new book I try and purchase an Audible or Kindle version. This is both for practicality (I can’t take all my books on the bike ride) and to guarantee I have access to that information in the future. It is unlikely something saved to Amazon’s server will get lost or broken like a book will.
• Yelp: Write yelp reviews often, and try to be as honest as possible
• Kiss: Kiss my wife passionately at least once a day and make sure she knows I love her
• Savor Beer: Only drink good beers as the first or second one of the night. If I’m buzzed I can’t appreciate the artistry of brewing.
• Minimize Distractions: When I am working or creating I put my cell phone in a different room and close all tabs that aren’t part of the task at hand.
• Balance Art and Entertainment: When I am watching something on Netflix, reading a new book, or listening to music I strive to balance artistic stuff that makes me think and analyze my own life, and entertainment which serves to relax and distract for a time.
• Love Myself: Whenever I get out of the shower I take several moments and look at myself naked in the mirror. I then mentally pick out the things I like about my body.
• Minimize Trash: I purchase products in bulk or second-hand whenever possible.