Rule of Life
The Rule of Life
This is not self-help. This is not self-government.
– the brutal philosopher
I do not seek comfort, distraction, or approval. I seek alignment.
I accept that a good life is not given, but forged – through discipline of the mind, training of the body, and devotion of the spirit.
I do not aim to escape suffering, I aim to order it.
What follows is my rule of life. I do not obey it perfectly. But I return to it faithfully.
I do not divide my life into compartments…
- The MIND gives direction
- The BODY gives proof
- The SPIRIT gives meaning
When one is neglected, all suffer. When all are trained, the self becomes whole.
Discipline is not punishment. It is devotion.
Sovereignty
I rule my attention as a king rules his land. What I allow into my mind shapes my destiny.
- I cultivate clarity before consumption.
- I choose discipline over impulse.
- I seek truth, especially when it costs me comfort.
- I study what strengthens my judgement.
- I think before I speak, and listen before I judge.
- I act from principle, not mood.
I do not outsource my thinking. I do not confuse noise for knowledge. I accept responsibility for my choices, my words, and my direction.
A scattered mind produces a fractured life. I train my mind to lead.
Embodiment
I honor the body as the instrument through which my will becomes real.
- I train my body for strength, resilience, and service.
- I embrace voluntary hardship.
- I eat to nourish, not to numb.
- I rest with intention, not collapse.
- I maintain my body so it may carry me faithfully through my calling.
I reject weakness disguised as virtue. I reject vanity disguised as discipline.
My body is not an ornament. It is a tool. It is an altar.
Through the body, belief becomes visible. Through effort, truth takes flesh.
Alignment
I remember that I am not the center of existence. I live as one who participates in something greater than himself.
- I practice stillness daily
- I attend to my breath, my presence, and my gratitude.
- I orient my actions toward meaning rather than pleasure.
- I accept suffering as a teacher, not an enemy.
- I cultivate reverence in private, not performance in pubic.
I do not confuse spirituality with escapism. I do not seek transcendence without responsibility.
The spirit is strengthened through humility, silence, and devotion to what is true.
The Oath of Return
- I will fail
- I will drift
- I will forget
When I do, I return. Not to guilt. Not to shame. But to alignment.