“There is no enlightened one.  There is only the one who is seeking further enlightenment.  Proper Being is process, not a state; a journey, not a destination.  It’s the continual transformation of what you know, through encounter with what you don’t know, rather than the desperate clinging to the certainty that is eternally insufficient in any case.” – Jordan B. Peterson

Isn’t that what we are all trying to do in some way or another?  We strive to grow, to change, to improve, to become just a little bit better than we were yesterday – at least, that’s what I like to think.  I have to assume there is a little bit of that in you if you have opened up this email and have read this far.

Jordan B. Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life: an Antidote for Chaos is a rare book for me in that I own it in multiple formats – I bought the text when it first came out and have it in my office to refer to and recommend to clients, I listened to the audio version throughout the summer while driving or mowing – there was something special in listening to the author read his own work, emphasizing what he thought was important, and even breaking down a bit at points he thought were especially critical, and then recently I picked up the Kindle edition so I could have it at hand whenever I like, as lugging the text around was not an option.

It is a book that helped me to see things a little differently, to look at myself with new understanding, and to see how I could be a part of my world in better ways.  It allowed me to encounter what I don’t know, as the quote says, and to look at things in life that were “not good” as the professor likes to suggest throughout the book.

As you can see below, the book is formulated around several simple-enough appearing rules – if you read them below, they appear self-evident enough, maybe even a little shallow.  But if you read the book, you will realize he goes very deep int ancient mythology and evolutionary psychology to look at the foundations of these rules, and connects that to everyday life, and even some of his own anecdotal stories.  As I’ve suggested, it’s a fairly powerful book, in my mind.

So I wanted to share it with you – it’s a long one, but maybe one you will return to on occasion as I have.  I definitely recommend the audio version, as I found great joy in hearing JBP read his own material with considerable emotion – he really wants the reader to “get it”.

I offer you a glimpse of The Rules below – take a moment to consider what they might mean in your life, you how might become just a little bit better by putting a few of them in place in your daily routine.  And, if you’re up for a good read, take a look at the book.

Rule 1 – Stand up straight with your shoulders back.

Rule 2 – Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.

Rule 3 – Make friends with people who want the best for you.

Rule 4 – Compare your to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.

Rule 5 – Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.

Rule 6 – Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.

Rule 7 – Pursue what is meaningful (what what is expedient)

Rule 8 – Tell the truth – or, at least, don’t lie.

Rule 9 – Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t

Rule 10 – Be precise in your speech.

Rule 11 – Do not bother children when they are skateboarding.

Rule 12 – Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.