Dad's rules to live by.

Taken from the book "The Paladin Prophesy" by: Mark Frost

Dad's rules to live by:
1. The importance of an orderly mind.
2.Stay focused on the task at hand.
3. Don't draw attention to yourself.
4. If you think you're done, you've just begun.
5. Trust no one.
6. Remain alert at all times to the reality of the present. Because all we have is right now.
7. Don't confuse good luck with a good plan.
8. Always be prepared to improvise
9. Watch, look, and listen, or you won't know what you're missing.
10. Don't react to a situation that takes you by surprise. Respond.
11. Trust your instincts.
12. Let the other guy do the talking.
13. You only get one chance to make a first impression.
14. Ask all questions in order of importance.
15. Be quick but don't hurry.
16. Always look people in the eye. Give them a handshake they'll remember.
17. Start each day by saying "It's good to be alive." Even if you don't feel it, saying it out loud will make it more likely that you will.
18. If 17 doesn't work, count your blessings.
19. When everything goes wrong, treat disaster as a way to wake up.
20. There must always be a relationship between evidence and conclusion.
21. Fortune favors the bold.
22. Whenever your head is too full of noise, make a list.
23. When there's trouble, think fast and act decisively.
24. You can't change anything if you can't change your mind.
25. What you're told to believe isn't important; it's what you choose  to believe. It's not the ink and paper that matter, but the hand that holds the pen.
26. Once is an anomaly, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern. And as we all know...
27. There's no such thing as coincidence.
28. You could also think of coincidence as synchronicity.
29. Let people underestimate you. That way they'll never be sure what you're capable of.
30. Sometimes the only way to deal with a bully is to hit first. Hard.
31. It's not a bad thing, sometimes, if they think you're crazy.
32. Even the slightest advantage can mean the difference between life and death. Never give it away.
33. Act as if you're in charge and people will believe you.
34. Trying times are not the times to stop trying.
35. Never make excuses.
36. Sleep when you're sleepy. Cats take naps so they're always prepared for anything.
37. The bravest thing isn't always the smartest thing.
38. Cooperate with the authorities. But don't name friends.
39. If strangers know what you're feeling, you give them the advantage.
40. Out-of-control anger will get you killed even quicker than stupidity.
41. Never start a fight unless you can finish it fast.
42. When all else fails, just breathe.
43. In times of chaos, stick with routine. Build order one step at a time.
44. The only thing you can't afford to lose is hope.
45. To break the ice, always compliment a man's hometown.
46. And always sympathize with his hometown's football team.
47. If you can't be on time, be early.
48. If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.
49. Giving up is easy. Finishing is hard.
50. Facing the truth is easier in the long run than lying to yourself.
51. Sometimes you find out more when you ask questions to which you already know the answer.
52. If you don't like the answer you get, you shouldn't have asked the question.
53. If you want something done the right way, do it yourself.
54. If you don't want people to notice you, act like you belong there and look busy.
55. The best way to lie is to include part of the truth.
56. The dumbest guy in the room is the first to tell you how smart he is.
57. When in trouble emphasize your strengths.
58. When in a new place act like you've been there before.
59. Learn the difference between tactics and strategy.
60. 99% of the things you worry about never happen. Does this mean that worrying works or is a complete waste of time? You decide.
61. When you need to make a quick decision, don't let what you can't do interfere with what you can.
62. When you gain the advantage, press it to the limit.
63. The Swiss army doesn't amount to much but never leave home without their knife.
64. Don't make someones pain the source of your own happiness.
65. Go easy on the hard sell. Persuasion is the art of making them think it was their idea.
66. Never take more than you need.
67. Without life of the mind, you'll live a mindless life.
68. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean sorry is better than safe.
69. When nothing else works, try chocolate.
70. Never be nervous talking to a girl. Just pretend that she's a person too.
71. Men want company. Women want empathy.
72. There is not (nor should there be) a limit to what a guy will go through to impress the right girl.
73. If you want people to tell you more, say less. Open your eyes and ears, close your mouth.
74. You can find most of the weapons and equipment you need around the house.
75. Memorize the bill of Rights.
76. Don't watch your life like it's a movie. It's happening to you right now.
77. Stay alive :)