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In a world full of calamities, catastrophes, natural disasters, dishonesty, and incurable diseases, is it possible to lead a meaningful, joyous, and happy life?
While no one can guarantee that anyone can be happy, their chances of survival and happiness can be improved by following the tips provided herein. It is in everybody’s power to point the way to a less dangerous and happier life.
First, take care of yourself. Seek care when you are ill. Keep your body clean by bathing and washing your hands regularly. Preserve your teeth by brushing them after meals. Do not forget to get proper rest and sleep.
Second, don’t be promiscuous. Be faithful to your sexual partner. As a matter of fact, sex is a big step on the way to happiness and joy. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with it if it is accompanied by truthfulness and decency.
Third, be temperate. Do not take harmful drugs. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption. Note that smoking is also hazardous to your health. By observing these tips, one becomes physically able to enjoy life.
Fourth, love and help children. Truth must be told that the way to happiness partly depends on loving and helping children from babyhood to the brink of adult life. For sure, today’s children will become tomorrow’s civilization.
Fifth, honour and help your parents. The way to happiness includes being on good terms with one’s parents or those who brought one up.
Sixth, set a good example. In all your endeavors, try your best to be exemplary. You can be a good parent, good spouse, good student, good manager, and the list is non-exhaustive.
Seventh, seek to live with the truth. Do not tell harmful lies. Do not bear false witness. The way to happiness lies along the road to the truth.
Eighth, do not murder. The stupid, the evil, and the insane seek to solve their real or imagined problems with murder or suicide. The way to happiness does not include murdering your friends, your family, or getting yourself murdered.
Ninth, do not do anything illegal even if you think there is no possibility of being found out. The way to happiness does not include the fear of being found out.
Tenth, support the government of the day whenever necessary. The way to happiness is hard to travel when shadowed by the oppression of tyranny. However, a benign government, designed and run for all the people, has been known to smooth the way. When such occurs, it deserves support.
Eleventh, do not harm a person of good will. Don’t harm the hand that feeds you. The way to happiness is far more easily followed when one supports people of good will.
Twelfth, safeguard and improve your environment. Be of good appearance by taking care of yourself. Also, take care of your own area. Help to take care of the earth’s environment. If others do not help safeguard and improve the environment, the way to happiness could have no roadbed to travel on at all.
Thirteenth, do not steal. The greatest robbers in history paid for their loot by spending their lives in wretched hideouts and prisons with only rare moments of “the good life.” In fact, the road to happiness cannot be traveled with stolen goods.
Fourteenth, be worthy of trust. Keep your word once given. People who keep their word are trusted and admired. As a matter of fact, the way to happiness is much easier to travel with people one can trust.
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Fifteenth, fulfil your obligations. Pay your debts on time. The way to happiness is very hard to travel when one is burdened with the weight of obligations which one is owed or which he has not discharged.
Sixteenth, be industrious. The most lasting benefit arises from work that leads to actual production. In fact, the way to happiness is a high road when it includes industriousness that leads to tangible production.
Seventeenth, be competent. The test of true competence is the end result. To the degree that a man is competent, he survives. Likewise, to the degree he is incompetent, he perishes. The ingredients of competence include observation, learning, and practice. The way to happiness is best traveled with competent companions.
Eighteenth, respect the religious beliefs of others. Faith and belief do not necessarily surrender to logic. They cannot be declared illogical. Man, since the dawn of the species, has taken great consolation and joy in his religions. In fact, the way to happiness can become contentious when one fails to respect the religious beliefs of others.
Nineteenth, try not to do things that you would not like done to you. This is called the Golden Rule. Only a saint could go through life without ever harming others. However, only a criminal hurts those around him without a second thought. The way to happiness is closed to those who do not restrain themselves from committing harmful acts.
Twentieth, try to treat others as you would want them to treat you. What do you suppose would happen if everyone were to try to treat those around them with justness, loyalty, good sportsmanship, fairness, honesty, kindness, consideration, compassion, self-control, tolerance, forgiveness, benevolence, belief, respect, politeness, dignity, admiration, friendliness, love, and integrity?
Twenty-first, flourish and prosper. For whatever reason, efforts to improve oneself and to become happier in life can become the subject of attack. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Note: This article was compiled with the courtesy of L. Ron Hubbard.
