Mr. Haymore's Last Lecture to Graduating Seniors
Haymore’s 12 Laws for Happy, Successful
and Meaningful Living
1) THE LAW OF PRIORITIES: PUT FAITH FIRST: Believe in God and obey His commandments. Gaze upward. Pray daily. Study the Bible and other sacred literature. Make Sunday a holy day. Attend church every week wherever you are. Live with faith, hope and charity. Exercise confidence. Demonstrate optimism. Be positive. Look inward: listen to that still, small, inner voice and follow it-your conscience-your internal compass-your personal GPS-your best friend and counselor. “Every day is a good day if you pray” (Dr. Norman Vincent Peale). “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education” (Theodore Roosevelt).
2) THE LAW OF CHARACTER: Be a CTR Person Always 100% 24/7: Always Choose the Right or Nothing. Stay on the CTR path forever. Remember that character matters most. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Show kindness. You will go far with CTR. Pursue excellence with Integrity every day every way. Work Hard--Work Smart--Work Together. Be dependable. Be loyal. Be enthusiastic. Serve others. Smile. Show courage. Work harder than anyone else. Be a high achiever. “Character Matters Most” (Dale Murphy).
3) THE LAW OF HEALTH: Seek a Healthy Lifestyle: Nourish your body, mind, and spirit. Avoid drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products. Exercise regularly. Diet wisely. Maintain proper weight. Self-talk positively. Feed your spirit through praying, meditating, pondering, and writing. “A wise man ought to realize that health is his most valuable possession" (Hippocrates).
4) THE LAW OF FINANCES: Live Within Your Means: First-Pay 10% of your gross income to your church. Avoid debt except perhaps for a home, a car, and education. Budget. Be thrifty. Invest wisely. Forget about the so-called “Get Rich” and pyramid schemes. Use credit cards wisely and pay them off monthly. Pay your taxes honestly. “To increase your income, increase your service to others because our rewards in life will always be in exact proportion to our contribution, our service” (Earl Nightingale).
5) THE LAW OF LEARNING: Get as Much Education as You Can--Formal and Informal: Train your mind. Qualify yourself to be of valuable service to others. Be wise. Learn. Read. Observe. Think. Study. Strategize. Create. Analyze. Reflect. Evaluate. Collaborate. Teach. “Education is the latch key to success in life” Gordon B. Hinckley). “Knowledge makes you into a more valuable person. The more knowledge you have, the more people need you. When people need you, they pay you, so you’ll be okay in life” (Dr. Ben Carson).
6) THE LAW OF HONESTY: Live Honestly: Communicate the truth. Be true. Be trustworthy. Be dependable. Keep your promises. Be perfectly honest and upright in all things at all times. “Honesty is the best policy” (Mark Twain).
7) THE LAW OF CAREERS: Choose an Honorable Profession, one that you Love, and one that you are really interested in: Work hard for a good, honest living. Strive to become the best you can be. Don’t try to be the best-just the best YOU can be. Improve constantly. Let your high quality workmanship speak for itself. Regardless of your careers, be perfectly honest in all things. Don’t chase after money. “Do what you love, and the money will follow” (Marsha Sinetar).
8) THE LAW OF SETTING AND ACHIEVING GOALS: Set Worthy Goals: Set Big Goals. Focus or fail. Avoid complacency. Follow your passions. Aim high. Visualize. Look Forward. Choose wisely. Joyfully anticipate. Be industrious. Persist always. Plan your life. Accept responsibility for your life-who you are and who and what you become. Don’t blame others. “A man without a goal is like a ship without a rudder” (Thomas Carlyle).
9) THE LAW OF MARRIAGE: Marry Properly: Marry the right person at the right time at the right place for the right reasons by the right authority. Seek to make and to maintain a happy and loving family-a CTR family. Be loyal to your spouse and children. Be morally clean. Each day return home with honor. Listen to understand. Enjoy the journey. Seek the happy life together. “Husbands and wives who love each other will find that love and loyalty are reciprocated” (Ezra Taft Benson).
10) THE LAW OF GRATITUDE: Be Humble and Grateful: Make gratitude your attitude. Show your gratitude by expressing it, by developing and sharing your talents and skills, by improving yourself, by giving compliments, by giving appreciation. Give credit where it is due. Acknowledge others. Cultivate the “Thank You” habit. “Count your many blessings, name them one by one and see what God has done” (Johnson Oatman, Jr. )
11) THE LAW OF GOODNESS: Live the Good Life. Do Good-Be Good-Feel Good: Do all the good you can every day. Since character matters most, make having a good character your top priority. “Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” (Henry David Thoreau). When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad” (Abraham Lincoln). “Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued” (Socrates).
12) THE LAW OF SERVICE: Love, Serve, and do good to others. Look outward to others. Use your skills, knowledge and talents to help others be happy and successful. Help the poor, needy, sick, and afflicted. Pass CTR forward-teach others to be CTR people. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (The Golden Rule by Jesus Christ).
DO GOOD --- BE GOOD --- FEEL GOOD
I care about you!
Mr. Haymore
