Many people have heard of Jordan Peterson's "12 Rules for Life" book and he's got great things to say, I googled the 12 things, but I wanted to make my own "12 Rules for Life" because why not. Mine is from a Christian perspective so it's got a lot more in it centered on God because if we put God first, a lot of other things will start to fall into place.
Wouldn't it be cool if we all had our personal 12 rules for life that we tried to lived by? Benjamin Franklin had his "13 Virtues" and he would read them every night to see if he had lived up to them that day.
Also, Companies who have a written set of values make like 700% more than companies who don't.
So this is more my list of important habits based on the things I value from a Christian perspective. It's a bit wordy, but I'm a bit wordy. lol:
1. Become a Good Cook, Try New Recipes, & Practice Hospitality
2. Keep Your House Clean, Decluttered, Decorated & Smelling Good
3. Rest One Day a Week, Join a Local Church, & Volunteer
4. Seek God First Every Morning & have "Coffee/Tea with Jesus"
6. Write Down 8-10 Goals for the Year & Write Them Out Daily
7. Make Your Words Clean, Uplifting & Faith-Filled - Stop Complaining
5. Save $1,000, Get Out of Debt, Then Save a 3-6 Month Emergency Fund
8. Read the Whole Bible Every Year - Get On a Bible PLan
9. Start Going Organic & Chemical Free with Food + Cleaning Supplies
10. Exercise Regularly & Work On Getting to a Healthy Weight
11. Look for Ways to Love & Serve People & Become a Joyful Giver
12. Do One Thing Really Well - Study Your Field for 30 min to 1 Hour a Day
Here's the Breakdown of those:
1. Become a Good Cook, Try New Recipes, & Practice Hospitality
Learning how to cook is one of the best skills you can have. You're going to be eating for the rest of your life and most of the food out there is full of pesticides from what they sprayed in the soil if it's not organic, or full of processed and nutrient deficient flour, salt & sugar. I have started to make a lot more things from scratch in the last few years because you almost can't not. I'm about to learn how to make pizza and noodles from scratch! My friend gave me her old flour mill so now I can grind fresh flour which has so much more nutrients than the storebought flour. Also pink himilayan salt or Redmond Real Salt or Celtic Sea Salt is the way to go. The right salt is so good for you but has been demonized. The white processed salt is bad for you.. it's basically just salty without the nutrients. You've got to get rid of that. Butter is also good for you. Get it grass fed. Also grass fed beef, organic chicken, raw milk etc. I will be making a cookbook. So be on the lookout. lol Or at least a health blog. I made one come to think of it. It probably has most of the information on it.
Also, trying new recipes keeps things fresh. I just tried a new one yesteray and blogged about it! With the leftover ingredients I made today's lunch! It's the Bramble Copycat Quinoa Salad. It actually got me to start my Camille Meals food blog today! Yay!
Hospitality is also something the Bible tells us to practice. Opening our home for guests and visitors. When you host people or house them you develop relationships that go deeper than seeing people in public and you can really refresh people's souls. My parents continually had missionaries and people staying in our home. My sister Haley especially gave up her room and she did it with a happy heart. I think it may have aided in her heart of giving. Haley has always been such a generous person and I've seen God bless her and provide for her and opened doors for her and she just keeps giving out. It's actually convicting and beautiful.
2. Keep Your House Clean, Decluttered, Decorated & Smelling Good
You will feel so much better when your house is clean and decluttered.. you want to make a place you can bring people over, have a birthday party or a Bible study. You should be proud of where you live. I currently live in a really small house that's less than 400 square foot, and it's hard to keep it decluttered.. need to get rid of stuff, but I regularly clean it and it's so nice. I am really thankful for this place! I am so happy to not be in an apartment because I play music and don't like to have to worry about the neighbors.
3. Rest One Day a Week, Join a Local Church, & Volunteer
God rested on the 7th day and set an example for us. We need rest. We need time to spend with God, with our family, reflect on life, have time to pray and worship, study the Bible, enjoy the fruits of our labors instead of just working all the time or always being on the go doing this or that. It takes work and preparation to get a full rest day in. In the Bible they didn't even cook on the Sabbath. Cooking back then was a big ordeal.. probably no running water or electricity.. it might mean the woman would have to go kill a chicken and de-feather it. So God gave everyone a break, including the servants and the animals. A full day to remember that God is our provider, even when He uses our hands, and that He is our God. The Sabbath was either on Saturday or from Friday at sunset ot Saturday at Sunset. In the New Testament it seems the original Sabbath was honored by some and others viewed every day the same and found their Sabbath rest in Christ. The Sabbath was changed from the original sabbath to Sunday years ago by Emporer Constantine, but I'm not sure it was a great thing... they decided to rest on the day of the Sun instead of the day God set up from the beginning of time. Regarless of which day you choose to rest, I think it's clear that no day of rest will turn into not great things. I go to church on Sunday and often take the Sabbath day, Saturday off to rest. I at times start it on Friday night at sunset. It's been a big blessing. I think God in the New Testament was trying to get away from people thinking that their works, even being a really good
Sabbath keeper, led to salvation, but I also believe it's still a blessing. You just don't want to get so legalistic about it that you forget the whole point - it's a day for God and a day for man. What a blessing that God doesn't make us work 7 days a week!
4. Seek God First Every Morning & have "Coffee/Tea with Jesus"
I started setting aside time to have coffee with Jesus at 22 years old and that was the first time I had a regular time with God daily. I got challenged at a church I was singing at in Ohio by a testimony video of a guy who was challenged by his pastor to try it and it changed his life. I wish I had someone challenge me to do that sooner. They probably did, but 'Coffee with Jesus" was just the right advertising to get to me though. Find a chair, I have a rocking chair, and get a little side table with ideally a window view. You will love it!
6. Write Down 8-10 Goals for the Year & Write Them Out Daily
Brian Tracy talks about this and it has changed my life. I started doing this this year and wow, great results! Highly recommend getting your goals down on paper. Some people don't like the idea of goal setting. Some Christians get all spun with the though of making plans about the future. But with no clear plan we often waste our time and money with nothing much to show for it in the years to come. I believe that God wants Christians: 1. Healthy 2. Out of Debt 3. Developing the Gifts He Gave Them 4. Strengthening Their Relationships, first with their spouse and kids and then with other relatives and friends 5. Having a Clean and Hospitable Home. 6. Sharing the gospel. 7. Having family prayer and study of the Word times 8. Preparing to be married - for men: financial stability, a place for a woman to live, buying assets and building wealth & for women: learning how to keep a home, cook, bake clean, decorate, learning about health, and make a happy, peaceful environment.
7. Make Your Words Clean, Uplifting & Faith-Filled - Stop Complaining
Things to cut out:
- Cussing & Crass words
Cussing is an obvious, but for me even things like "sucks" & "crap", etc aren't classy. Ideally if you wouldn't say it in the pulpit, try to get it out of your vocabulary.
- Complaining
- Gossip & Slander
- Lying - small and big lies (someone told me that lying and stealing are cousins - they go together!)
- Bad jokes
- Sexual jokes
Terri Savelle Foy said on her YouTube channel to do no complaining challenge for 1 day. I did that. Then she said to do it for 1 month and I tried to do that too. It rewires your brain.
Also, I started writing what I'm thankful for daiy for a while and I will probably get back to it, and it also rewires your brain to look for the good in life and to thank God for the totally blessed life we live. Whatever you focus on you usually get more of. Terri Savelle Foy says that whatever you say, end it with "and that's just the way I like it" to see if what you're saying it really what you're wanting in your life like: "I'm so dumb... and that's just the way I like it." lol. Or I never have enough money.. and that's just the way I like it!" It really does help! I've told my Dad this too. Hopefully he is heeding this most wonderful knowledge. ;)
Things to say instead:
- Thankful words
- Praise to the Lord in hard times or when bad things happen
- Pray about everything
- Compliment people on what you like about them
- Good humored jokes
- Encourage someone, believe in them, and say it
5. Save $1,000, Get Out of Debt, Then Save a 3-6 Month Emergency Fund
Just follow Dave Ramsey's podcast. Get his Book "The Complete Money Makeover." I saved a 3 month emergency fund years ago and it changed my life. Now I need to build it back up to 3 months. He says to save $1,000 first, then get out of debt as fast as possible which often takes about 2 years, and then build up your 3-6 month emergency fund.
Get the Every Dollar App by Dave Ramsey and start your 0 based budget. It works really well if you basically know how much money you make every month. I don't have a steady income, but it would be easier to budget if I did. I'm just basically really frugal most of the time and I keep my overhead low because I love the freedom to be able to have the time to pursue my interests, like writing this blog, writing music, studying different topics and the Bible, having time for my family especially, and of course time to plan how I'm going to run a city one day and fix the U.S. government.. ;) Kidding but not kidding haha I have some big dreams! But I don't really want to run for office. lol. I just want someone to do all my fair taxes plans etc.
8. Read the Whole Bible Every Year - Get On a Bible Plan
I started reading the Bible through every year when I was 22. That's 10 years now and it's changed my life and taken me deeper in the Lord. you will find so much spiritual nourishment in the Word and strength. Sometimes just reading the Word can make you cry. It tenderizes your spirit and reminds you of God's truth. It's amazing. Listen to the Bible, read it, sing it, memorize it. Just get it in you as much as possible. Let it play when you sleep if you want. That's an idea. Maybe I'll find a youtube video I can do that with. I generally just sleep with silence. Also, I have a Bible checklist on my shop page that I give away for free if you want it. It's on my blog and shop page. Just download it and use it!
9. Start Going Organic & Chemical Free with Food + Cleaning Supplies
We have so many toxins in our food and cleaning products. Women are said to be 50% more likely to have cancer than men because of the toxic cleaning products under their sink. I have removed just about everything toxic in my house in the cleaning department. Find natural cleaners. Start buying organic food when possible. It does make a difference. & No, drinking tap water does not make your immune system stronger like I used to say.. it's just makes you have more toxins and random bad stuff in your body to try to get out. Look up the water in your area to see what they let into the city water. Not good, not good. lol.
10. Exercise Regularly & Work On Getting to a Healthy Weight
People's self esteem is often tied to their weight and how they think they look when they look in the mirror. Some people's self-image is off, but if you don't like how you look, do everything you can to change it as long as you're still healthy and not trying to look like a twig. I want to be healthy and look good in my clothes and have energy. Just recently I started running and I noticed within only a few times how my body started changing and I started looking like I had runners legs. I stopped running though and all of a sudden starting gaining more weight than usual.. hmmmmm... weird. But I also haven't been drinking much water in the last month. I know that because I track it with my habit tracking favorite app: "Streaks". I set my own habits and can see how well I've been keeping them. I highly recommend that app. It changed my life. I have nothing to gain by telling you about it - they don't do an affiliate program, but it's $5.99 right now and some of the best money I've ever spent! My little sister is using it to weigh in. She set her goal weight and when she weight that amount she checks it off, then recently she changed the goal weight to lower. Smart cookie she is! Basically, figure out what is healthy for your height and gender online, then work toward that if possible. Not everybody loses weight as easy as others and there are many factors. Some people are healthier than others and still can't seem to lose the weight. I wish I had the answer, but there is an answer and I say just keep going for it. Add walking into your life, change your diet, and start weight training and habit tracking. :)
1 1. Look for Ways to Love & Serve People & Become a Joyful Giver
Life is really all about God and people. Everything we have is supposed to aid those relationships - food helps us have a great time of fellowship, our homes give us a place to relax and connect, music helps the mood of everyone. Also, when we look for ways to serve others and give of our time or money or both, we will start to see how fun life can be. Once upon a time I started giving 10% to church and 10% to ministries I believed in. It's crazy when you're having to look for places to give! I've been so used to just giving to the church that you forget you can give elsewhere too. You can't out-give God either.
12. Do One Thing Really Well - Study your field for 30 min to 1 hour a day.
If you want to be in the top of your field, Brian Tracy says to study in it for 1 hour a day. You will become an expert in it in 3 years, a national authority on it within 5 years, and an international expert within 7 years if you study in it daily! I am starting to do this more in music, since that's my main thing in life it seems. If you can't study in it for an hour, which is hard to do, just start with some time. 10 minutes, 20, 30... and it will pay off. If any of us will hyper focus on one thing, we are bound to become really good at it and that's when you start to get paid higher than others for what you do. I need to hyper focus!!!!!
Well there you have it, Camille's 12 Rules for Life. These are all super helpful things that have helped me. I am still working on them, but they are the bees knees. Any other ones you would add?
God bless you,
Find me on instagram @CamilleHarris or Facebook: @TheCamilleShow for more.
Camille
