JJ's 13 Rules for Living: A Review

Jordan R. Jensen, Ed.D.
Founder & CEO of Freedom Focused

Over the past several months, I have shared posts highlighting my 13 Rules for Living, which were inspired by Thomas Jefferson's 10 Rules for Life. 

These rules have had a significant influence and positive impact on my life and career. While I have not always followed them perfectly, much growth, progress, and maturity has resulted in making an honest and authentic attempt to live by the principles inherent in their edicts.  

Today's post provides a REVIEW of these 13 Rules, and provides a link to the corresponding article dedicated to each rule. These links are accessible below.  To view the unabridged list of these 13 rules, click HERE.    

JJ's 13 Rules for Living

Rule #1:  Self-Change

Rule #2:  Good, Evil, & Absolute Truth

Rule #3:  The Golden Mean

Rule #4:  Learn from Small Mistakes

Rule #5:  Never Insult or Contend

Rule #6:  Find Your True Voice & Help Others Find Theirs

Rule #7:  Accentuate the Positive & Eliminate the Negative

Rule #8:  The Only Real Failure is to Quit

Rule #9:  Triumph & Disaster

Rule 10:  Be a Creator, Not a Critic

Rule #11:  Be Grateful

Rule #12:  The Wise Use of Time & Money

Rule #13:  I Can't Do it Alone (Humility)

To view the unabridged list of these 13 rules, click HERE.   

Having finished sharing with you my 13 Rules for Life, it is now YOUR turn!

My guess is that you already have certain rules that you live by. But have you carefully, consciously, and conscientiously composed them yet? If not, NOW is the time to do so.

In next week's post, I will share some examples of life rules from others. In conjunction with sharing my own, you will have even more ideas to support your own efforts to establish your own rules for living.

NOTE: This article is the 16th in a series of 22 articles on the subject of LIFE RULES.

Click HERE to access quick links to the other 21 articles.   

—Dr. JJ

February 23, 2022

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 253rd Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 252 FF Blog Articles.  

.........................

Tune in NEXT Wednesday for another article on a Self-Action Leadership related topic.  

And if you liked this blog post, please share it with your family, friends, colleagues, and students—and encourage them to sign up to receive future articles for FREE every Wednesday.

To sign up, please email freedomfocused@gmail.com and say SUBSCRIBE, or just YES, and we will ensure you receive a link to each new blog article every Wednesday.  

Click HERE to learn more about Freedom Focused

Click HERE to learn more about Dr. Jordan Jensen

Click HERE to buy the SAL Textbooks

Dr. JJ's Rule #10: Be a Creator, not a Critic

In the history of mankind, Dickens' famous quip: "It was the best of times,
it was the worst of times" has never been truer than NOW.

In a previous article, Dr. JJ's 13 Rules for Living were shared.

Click HERE to access JJ's 13 Rules.

This week's blog post addresses Dr. JJ's RULE #10, which states:

Be a DOER, not a drag; a CREATOR, not a critic; and an EXAMPLE, not a judge.*

As a token of my commitment to be an example of a DOER and CREATOR, pick up at least one piece of trash each day that I did not throw down and read, write, recite, or do at least one thing each day that contributes to my own (or someone else's) personal wisdom, freedom, and Existential Growth. 

Click HERE to read The Power of Picking up Trash, a previously published Freedom Focused blog post.    

Freedom Focused Agents are BUILDERS

Our world is filled with finger-pointers and critics. We need more creators who take complete responsibility for everything in their OWN lives and careers.  

There are plenty of people ready, willing, and eager to play the blame-game and tear down other people and things. 

We need more courteous, confident, courageous, compassionate, and constructive builders.

Freedom Focused is an organization of builders. We do not seek to bruise or bully, but to bolster and build. Our desire is not to add to the current chaos, but to contribute to causes worth living for. Our aim is to use our education, expertise, and talents to craft something truly magnificent in our nation—and beyond.  

How do we strive to accomplish such lofty aims?

For starters, we begin early, often, and always by.....  improving OURSELVES.   

What Our World Needs...

Our world has too many leaners;

It needs more LIFTERS.

          Our world has a crass cache of critical curmudgeons;

          It needs more CHEERFUL CREATORS.

                    Our world has a surfeit of finger-pointing judges.

                    It needs more authentic EXAMPLES of personal HONESTY and EXCELLENCE.  

                              Our world has too much debauchery and drug abuse

                              It needs more DISCIPLINE and DELAYED GRATIFICATION.

                    Our world is too oft marked by hatred, division, and vicious vitriol. 

                    It needs more LOVE, UNITY, and volitional VIRTUE.  

          Our world is plagued by partisan politics and puerile polemics

          It cries out in desperation for more STATESMANSHIP and BALANCE

Our world has so much potential yet to be realized;

What are YOU doing TODAY to help it yet rise to that potential?

When the flames finally grow too hot,
Freedom Focused is here to help

At present, our world is on fire. For three decades, FREEDOM FOCUSED has been storing up ENERGY and WATER to combat the inferno through EXAMPLE and EDUCATION.

We stand READY, WILLING, and ABLE to boldly confront and successfully combat whatever comes our way...

          

          Just as soon as we are called upon to serve.     

NOTE: This article is the 12th in a series of 22 articles on the subject of LIFE RULES.

Click HERE to access quick links to the other 21 articles.   

-Dr. JJ

December 15, 2021

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 243rd Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 242 FF Blog Articles.  

.........................

Tune in NEXT Wednesday for another article on a Self-Action Leadership related topic.  

And if you liked this blog post, please share it with your family, friends, colleagues, and students—and encourage them to sign up to receive future articles for FREE every Wednesday.

To sign up, please email freedomfocused@gmail.com and say SUBSCRIBE, or just YES, and we will ensure you receive a link to each new blog article every Wednesday.  

Click HERE to learn more about Freedom Focused

Click HERE to learn more about Dr. Jordan Jensen

Click HERE to buy the SAL Textbooks

Notes: 

* Quote from Stephen R. Covey ("Be a light, not a judge")

Dr. JJ's Rule #3: The Golden Mean

There is Beauty in Balance

In a previous article, JJ's 13 Rules for Living were shared. This week's blog post addresses Dr. JJ's RULE #3, which states:

Truth and virtue are rarely found in extremes, but in a balance between (or among) extremes—in the Golden Mean.

The great Greek philosopher, Aristotle, taught that virtue (or "THE GOOD") is not found in extremes, but in a balance between (or among) extremes. This Aristotelian principle of balance has since become known as the GOLDEN MEAN.

At Freedom Focused, our aim is to embrace Aristotle's Golden Mean in everything we say and do.   

The GOLDEN MEAN and POLITICS

In recent years and decades, the United States of America—and other countries around the globe—have seen a growing political and cultural polarization stymie its/their collective social health and systemic functionality. As hyper-partisan candidates and citizens pursue increasingly extreme positions on both (and all) sides, divisiveness has abounded, negatively impacting everyone in one way or another.

Suffice it to say, perhaps nowhere is the philosophy of the Golden Mean needed more than in the politics of the twenty-first century.  

Freedom Focused is a non-political organization and does not endorse political candidates. We do, however, encourage everyone to become involved in the political process—if only to cast a vote—according to your own understanding of the issues and the dictates of your own conscience. We further encourage all citizens to become better educated on present political issues and historical events and political precedents. Doing so will serve to inform your knowledge- and conscience-based participation in the political process.  

I personally am not a member of any political party. However, as a concerned citizen, voter, and patriot who loves my country and seeks to be a good and honorable citizen of my homeland (and world), I strive to follow our advice as stated above. I therefore choose whom I will vote for based on my research, observations, and analysis of current issues, my understanding of past events and political precedents, and my personal priorities and beliefs.

There are times in a two-person race when both candidates are unpalatable to me for various reasons. In such circumstances, I always cast my vote for the candidate whom I believe will—all things considered—do the most good and the least harm in office. 

This "utilitarian-minded" voting approach is rooted in my desire to exercise what little political influence I possess as practically and realistically as possible in the present. I then concurrently seek to exemplify and promote the kind of balanced approach to politics that this article champions—something that politicians increasingly refuse to do themselves. When it comes to "contested issues" I seek to follow the advice of one leader who encouraged citizens to "moderate and unify"* rather than embrace partisan extremities and other tribalistic ideologies and behaviors.    

The GOLDEN MEAN and Everything Else in Life

Everything goes better when the "gears" of your life and
career are properly aligned, balanced, and greased.

The golden mean relates to more than just politics; it is applicable to everything in life. Freedom Focused agrees with Aristotle that self-action leaders ought to avoid extremities of any kind. While there is usually an exception to every rule, the fundamental principal of the Golden Mean is that wisdom is almost never found in extremes; but in a balance between (or among) extremes.

In every life arena—be it spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, social, recreational, etc.—we should strive to live lives marked by balance, discretion, moderation, and wisdom. Even inherently good or healthy things, such as exercise, nutrition, study, work, and wholesome recreational activities can be taken to unhealthy extremes that hinder one's personal freedom and growth and harm interpersonal relationships.

In illustration of this point, I am reminded of one of my favorite songs sung by the contemporary pop star, Bruno Mars. In his famous tune, Just the Way You Are, Bruno croons: "Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she'd let me."

As is the case with many romantic lyrics in music, they tend to get out of balance in order to underscore a highlighted emotion.  

Don't get me wrong... I love to kiss my wife as much as the next husband (and perhaps even more so), but kissing Lina all day long would not be good for her, me, or our relationship. While I firmly believe kissing is an essential ingredient in a successful romantic relationship or marriage, balance remains a key component in keeping those kisses as meaningful and special as possible. Indeed, too many kisses could in fact be as damaging and dangerous as not enough kisses.     

Aristotle
384-322 B.C.

How many friendships and marriages have been ruined by imbalance!

In a nation and world where legions of citizens are embracing extremes in fashion, style, culture, ideology, politics, fitness, nutrition, and virtually everything else, Freedom Focused champions a different approach that we—like Aristotle—believe is better and wiser in the long-run. This approach is spelled "B-A-L-A-N-C-E" and is illuminated by a philosophy and principle championed over two millennia ago by the great Greek philosopher Aristotle. 

Here's to living a golden life of happiness, prosperity, and inner peace through the philosophy of the Golden Mean.

Huzzah!  

NOTE: This article is the 5th in a series of 22 articles on the subject of LIFE RULES.

Click HERE to access quick links to the other 21 articles.   

-Dr. JJ

September 29, 2021

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 232nd Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 231 FF Blog Articles.  

.........................

Tune in NEXT Wednesday for another article on a Self-Action Leadership related topic.  

And if you liked this blog post, please share it with your family, friends, colleagues, and students—and encourage them to sign up to receive future articles for FREE every Wednesday.

To sign up, please email freedomfocused@gmail.com and say SUBSCRIBE, or just YES, and we will ensure you receive a link to each new blog article every Wednesday.  

Click HERE to learn more about Freedom Focused

Click HERE to learn more about Dr. Jordan Jensen

Click HERE to buy the SAL Textbooks

Notes:

* Oaks, D.H. (2021) Defending our Divinely Inspired Constitution (speech).