Happy Hiram's 12 Secrets of a Successful Life

Happy Hiram's 12 Secrets of a Successful Life

(Yes, most of these ideas were originated by others, see #5)

1. What you DO is who you ARE.

2. Believe your own bullshit. If you are not for you then who will be?

3. Take the best care of yourself and you will have plenty to offer others out of your bounty. If you sacrifice your well-being to help, it's like driving the car with no oil and bad breaks. Martyrdom makes you an accident waiting to happen. Being self-centered is the first step towards useful selflessness.

4. Anger and resentments are like peeing your pants to punish someone else; nobody feels it but you.

5. Learn to listen. Teams are smarter than individuals.

6. Forgive other and yourself not because it is right or nice but because when you forgive you are releasing yourself from the prison of the past. But do it when you are ready, not before.

7. Neither a borrower nor a lender be. If you help someone, think of it as a gift. Accept help when given but never mortgage yourself to your problems, or they will own you.

8. Lies have short legs, so run with the truth. Everyone has a slightly different version of what is happening around them, but when you lie the “furniture” doesn't match the “decor” and your character gets beaten up even while you think you are fooling people. They see through it, even when they don't know it yet.

9. Be the spider, not the fly in your network. Design your supports around your needs, don't just get "caught up" in what you wander into.

10. Guide your instincts, don't let your instincts be your guide. Brains and guts don't function as well independently as they do in concert.

11. You can't eat blueprints. Make plans but do not live in sand castles of future gain.

12. Nothing is between you and others, it is all between you and God (or if you prefer, you and yourself.)