Shea’s Eleven Precepts of Awesomeness

1999
​Shea’s Eleven Precepts of Awesomeness

​Do not compromise your original nature.
Compromise comes from giving into the pressures of convention.

Life is to celebrate life, relationships to celebrate relationships, love to celebrate love.
​Life is not for worrying. Love is not for jealousy.

Remember: what is the use of living if you can’t really “live!?”
​We all too often forget that in our efforts to protect what we have, we give up the joys of spontaneity, freedom, dignity, and other unseen benefits.

​Go straight to the heart of a matter, and do not get sidetracked by insignificant details.
Avoid digression onto meaningless topics. Then the original purpose is clouded and eventually lost.

​Be aware of when things have changed and accept the need to modify the context of your existence.
This means to discard old possessions that no longer have utility. This also means to acquire new friends as life progresses.

Keep your life simple.
​Do not clutter it with unnecessary things; this not only means excluding unnecessary projects and material goods, but also conventional thinking! The “plane of thought and perception” should be like an open field. Put what you want there.

​Challenge your thinking processes and defy tacit acceptance of convention.
Be defiant towards the ills of life. Question yourself. Strike out towards improvement. Fill your life with your own conception of what is best.

Think carefully about priorities.
What is really important? What brings the most happiness?

Be fearless, yet cautious when required.
​Be natural in your approach to things.

​Don’t let concerns about what others think make you alter your natural way.
If they don’t like your way of being yourself, the alternative of compromising your nature is a losing proposition. Let yourself show outwardly. It is likely that people overall will themselves feel freed by and thus attracted to your natural manner.

Absorb the content of things before taking action.
Do not allow circumstances to drive you. Take everything into account and then move in the most sensible direction. Do so with confidence and awareness of time.