The Only Rule In Life

As complicated and complex as life is, there’s really only one rule that no one is above. And that rule is: You are accountable.

You might come back and say "No Brian, there are a lot of rules. There are laws, morals, and systems in place that you have to abide by to be a productive member of society."

While that's all true, they're not rules of life.

The real (and only) rule of life is that you need to accept the consequences of the decisions you make.

You can choose to break the laws, live with poor morals, or violate established systems. You have the free will to do any of those things. But there are consequences. You are accountable.

The reason a lot of people overlook this one universal rule is because violating the other things they claim to be “rules” are unfathomable. Like committing a crime, walking out on your family, or dodging taxes. There are many people that do all of those things…

But remember, the only rule is that you are accountable. This means that you understand the relationship between cause and effect. If you do one thing you understand that it may lead to another.

The exciting part is, while this is more obvious for the bad things to do, the same principle is true for the good things. You get married and have a beautiful family - You did that! You get a promotion and raise at work - That’s all you!

Being accountable helps you take complete ownership for everything that happens in your life. If you want to change your life’s trajectory, you need to change the way you show up for it. This is where making better choices, being more focused, enforcing stronger boundaries, and taking on calculated risk are all a way to play the game of life. 

But know that when you play a certain way, you’re accountable to the results that come from it.

Understanding that this is the one and only rule of life, what do you want to do differently? Where are some of your problems popping up? What are some of the emerging opportunities you see? Because when you change the input you change the output. If you want to change the fruits, you’ve gotta change the roots.