Instructions For Life
9 maxims for a better day
Welcome to Bryce’s Blog, a place for people who are curious, like to learn and want to grow. This newsletter seeks to encourage, enlighten and entertain—usually in that order. I strive to help you connect to yourself, to your community and to the world around us.
Thank you for being here. This week is a shorter one.
When I was in high school, I wrote a list. It wasn’t necessarily a distillation of my life’s wisdom at that point, but more of a simple list of maxims I could focus on.
Things that I believed to be true. I labeled it Instructions For Life.
In a world full of top ten lists, I only got to nine. And that’s okay.
I was so pleased with this list that I formatted and printed it in a wallet size with a black double border so I could always reference it. I even had it laminated at Kinko’s!
And you know what? I still carry it with me to this day.
When I was in college, I published this list on my personal website. Here it is:
While many years have passed since I first came up with this list, there is a timeless quality to it.
These nine “instructions” were meant to provide comfort, focus and strength in those times when life gets hard. A reminder. A framework perhaps. They are, I believe, things that are within our own control. Attitude. Stance. Behavior. Choices we can make each day.
How do these land with you?
Instructions For Life
Always go to sleep watching the stars.
Get a good night’s sleep.
Welcome each morning.
Live each day to its fullest.
Fear nothing.
Always do your best.
Never be disappointed with yourself.
Always believe in yourself.
Never give up.
This list was inspired by a little book a friend gave me called Life’s Little Instruction Book by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. That book, first published in 1991, began as a collection of handwritten notes, typed up and put into a binder as a gift from a father to his son as he started college. With a cute red plaid cover and a subtitle of “ 511 suggestions, observations, and reminders on how to live a happy and rewarding life,” it would go on to sell millions of copies and spawn additional releases. I still have the original one that my friend gave me oh so many years ago.
If you lived in the US in the 1990s, you will surely remember this book. If you do not, I encourage you to check it out. It’s still in print and available at libraries and Amazon (link for convenience only, not an affiliate link).
Thank you for reading. I am grateful for your interest and appreciate your comments and engagement. I hope you have a fantastic day!
-Bryce
I always thought that the 10 Commandments could be whittled down to 2: Don't Kill and Don't Be An A**hole. And, when you think about it, it could really be just the one: Don't Be An A**hole. Simple, right? And yet...(peers out into the world). I agree with your 9. I fall asleep with the TV on (a timer), so: stars. I say good morning to myself/the world at large when I wake. I do think it's okay to be disappointed with yourself as long as you don't ruminate on it and learn a lesson. We all make mistakes; we just need to own 'em and learn. I don't know if lying in bed at noon on a Saturday is living life to the fullest, but it feels justified today. We just have to focus on being happy. Everything falls into place after that. Great stuff, Bryce. xo