Life doesn’t come with a manual—but it does come with lessons. And often, the very things that challenge us are really invitations to grow.

Author Cherie Carter-Scott once laid out ten timeless reminders in her book If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules. They are simple, clear, and profoundly relevant for anyone navigating the human journey.

You will receive a body. You may love it or hate it, but it’s yours for the duration of your life. How you treat it, how you speak to it, and how you accept it will shape your entire experience.

You will be presented with lessons. Life is a full-time school. Some lessons will feel good, others will be painful. But each one carries meaning.

There are no mistakes, only lessons. Every setback, misstep, or failure is information. It’s part of the process. Growth isn’t always pretty—but it is always productive.

A lesson is repeated until it’s learned. If the same challenges keep showing up, it’s not an accident. Life repeats the same lesson until we get it—and choose differently.

Learning doesn’t end. There is no graduation from this curriculum. Every experience, relationship, and decision adds to the journey. As long as we breathe, we are being shaped.

There is no “better” than here. The pursuit of happiness “out there” often blinds us to the gifts “right here.” Presence is the only place peace exists.

Others are mirrors. What we admire—or criticize—in others often reveals something about ourselves. The more we recognize this, the freer we become.

What you make of life is up to you. Life doesn’t always give us what we want, but we always get to choose how we respond. That response is our power.

Your answers lie within you. In a world that’s constantly shouting, our inner wisdom can get lost. But it’s still there. Waiting. Whispering. Guiding.

You will forget all of this at birth… but you can remember it. That’s the journey. Not perfection, but awakening. Returning. Remembering who you truly are.

These aren’t rules meant to pressure us—they’re truths meant to free us. You’re not failing. You’re learning. You’re growing. You’re remembering.

Pick just one of these truths this week and reflect on it. Let it guide your choices, your responses, your inner dialogue. Real change begins with small, intentional steps.

“You will forget all of this at birth. You can remember it if you want by unravelling the double helix of inner knowing.”
— Cherie Carter-Scott

If these reminders brought clarity or peace to your day, you’ll find more reflections like this in my book, The Good News File: Hope for a Modern World. It’s full of real stories that point you back to what matters most—hope, grace, and meaning.

The rules for being human aren’t complicated. But we do need help remembering them.