50 Rules to live by: Part 5

Jan 9, 2014 by Nick Kazos

10.  Build a dynamic wardrobe

For a period of time in my late twenties and early 30’s I found myself developing a sloppy and casual approach to dressing.  I “awoke” one day to find my wardrobe consisted of mostly plaid shirts and uber-relaxed fitting pants.  For some reason I stopped caring and I did not look good and unsurprisingly I didn’t feel too good about my appearance either.  I needed to change.

Over time I slowly started purging and building a new wardrobe and I can say that it has helped me rediscover my identity and rebuild my confidence.  The way you dress yourself says a lot about you. It’s a visual signifier to the world, whether you like it or not, perception is reality and you can control how you choose to portray yourself.  Of course this goes beyond just clothing, (as cited in rules like 46 and 30); however, a well-dressed person can make a powerful first impression and it’s a must if you want people to take you seriously (unless you’re an eccentric, playboy that is).

9.  Develop meaningful relationships

Know what types of people compliment you and spend most of your social time with them.  Building a relationship can be challenging to develop at times, but generally you actually enjoy, seek out and look forward to spending time with those people.  Their active participants in your life, who genuinely support and promote you; they are people you can exchange honest, genuine and trustworthy discourse devoid of ego and bias.   Above all, they don’t take you for granted and appreciate your role in their life.  If you don’t have them, go find them, you need them and they need you.

8.  You are what you consume

If you treat your body and mind like a garbage bin you will likely resemble one too.  If you have poor eating habits and consistently overeat your body will slowly deteriorate and change in ways you never thought possible (trust me).  If you’re consistently nourishing your mind with superficial information and spend your time with negative company you will also likely become shallow and anger-filled.  Can you differentiate between healthy nourishment and destructive consumption?  How do you feel right now, on the whole? Do your clothes fit the way you want them to?  Are you satisfied with your work?  Are you gratified by your personal relationships?  How do you nourish all aspects of your life?  There’s a strong correlation there folks, hopefully you can see the forest through the trees.

7.  Invest in yourself

This concept is an extension of rule 8.  Develop your critical thinking skills, continuously look for ways to augment your education, eat organic foods, develop a new hobby, join the local curling club, read the classics, save up for a new suit.  Armor your body and mind with whatever resources you have access to, reinforce your assets and turn weaknesses into strengths.

Today we have so many roads to choose from and it can be daunting to make even the simplest of decisions. It’s easy to get paralyzed by the grandness of it all.  Empower yourself by investing in yourself – it will help you navigate through difficult decisions and potentially open up a world of opportunity.  Where does it start you ask? I think you know, but are you willing to go beyond your self-imposed barriers?

6. Don’t let yourself go

You might be older than you once were, slightly grayer, a touch wider, maybe with the same partner since the Toronto Maple Leafs last won a playoff series, and you’re settled in your life – you “don’t have to worry about how you look anymore” I hear them say.  I don’t care how old you are, how happy or rich you are, maintaining your physical integrity is an essential ingredient to having a certain quality of life.  It affects your confidence, your cognitive function, your attractiveness, the physical things you can do, your ability to ward off sickness etc etc.  I’m not saying you need six-pack abs, and be obsessive about going to the gym 5 days a week.  Instead I’m simply reinforcing the idea of mindfulness.  Be mindful of what you’re putting in your body; be mindful of the energy you take in versus the energy you expend.  Have a physical standard for yourself and fight to preserve it as long as humanly possible.  You’re the one who has to look in the mirror, give him a reason to nod and smile every morning.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed or at least been entertained by my 50 Rules to Live by thus far, I know you’re expecting the final 5 rules to be listed below, but I’ve decided to postpone releasing them until tomorrow or maybe even the day after or maybe the day after that.

The rules have been written, and currently reside in my Microsoft office vault, but due to their importance they are deserving of their own dedicated space.  When I feel compelled to do so I will publish them. In the meantime, share this article with people you know on whatever social platform you feel compelled to do so.  I know there’s a lot to digest here, but think about what I’ve said and what resonates, let it soak in a little bit, send me an email or write a comment telling me what you like or dislike. Maybe you think I’m self-righteous or a rule monger or maybe something hit home and you want to discuss it – I encourage any response good or bad.

Finally, don’t be shy, add your name to my mailing list situated on the main page in the top right hand corner and when my final 5 rules have been published you will be the first to read it. I promise I won’t send you spam (unless I get hacked), but I will promise that when I do write you will have immediate access to what’s on the forefront of my thoughts.  I normally write sports related content, but this year I plan on going beyond that and providing more political and social commentary and the occasional anecdotal piece.  It’s time I too began expanding my horizons.

 

Part I – Rules 50-41

Part II – Rules 40-31

Part III – Rules 30-21

Part IV – Rules 20-11

Part VI – Rules 5-1