The Dalai Lama's Instructions for Life

I'm gearing up for one of those five-hour meetings that my company always seems so enthralled with.  That means my patience, among other things, will be tested.  In order to get through these marathon exercises of torture, I have to dig deep.  Today I'm leaning on the Dalai Lama's Instructions for Life to help me keep everything in perspective.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:

      Respect for self
      Respect for others and
      Responsibility for all your actions

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realise you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Comments

[Duane]

I almost always bring my laptop to meetings unless I am, in fact, running the meeting. Just yesterday we had our monthly president's call, where there's 30 people in the room (and more spread throughout the rest of our conference rooms) and somehow I'm sitting directly across from the president himself so most of his comments involve eye contact right at me. But there I am with the laptop, hacking code. I even warn people, "This does not mean I'm not listening to you. It just means that I'm in a zone where if I don't have the outlet that writing code gives me, you won't have my full attention anyway because I'll be lost in my own thoughts and can't wait to get back to my desk. Trust me." I liken it to the Japanese concept I once heard of, that it is considered acceptable to take a quick power nap during meetings at times when the subject is not relevant to you. Same general idea.

Unless by 5 hour torture you meant that they don't allow you pee breaks. In which case, yeah, practicing your meditation will help. :)

[Juiced]

what a great list, thanks for sharing this.