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If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules: Ten Rules for Being Human as Introduced in Chicken Soup for the Soul Hardcover – December 30, 1998
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We all know the feeling: In the game of life, why am I the only one who doesn't know how to play? But now, help is at hand, because this wonderful little book will teach you the rules so that you can conquer life's challenges and manage its unpredictable ups and downs.
For one of her workshops several years ago, Chérie Carter-Scott, a corporate trainer and consultant, composed a list of basic truths about life, which she named "The Ten Rules for Being Human." Right away, the Rules resonated with her clients, who photocopied and passed the list to friends and relatives. Within months, Chérie's Rules were in thousands of homes all over the country, and eventually, they were published in Chicken Soup for the Soul and have also appeared in Ann Landers' column. Although there's no formula to help you win the game of life, Chérie's Rules convey a universal wisdom that, once understood and embraced, can contribute to meaningful relationships with ourselves and others, at work and in the home.
In If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules, Chérie shares that there are no mistakes in life, only lessons that are repeated. In thoughtful, inspirational essays illustrated with encouraging personal anecdotes, she includes the lessons that can be learned from each of the Rules and offers insights on self-esteem, respect, acceptance, forgiveness, ethics, compassion, humility, gratitude, and courage. Best of all, Chérie shows that wisdom lies inside each one of us and that by putting the Ten Rules for Being Human into action we can create a more fulfilling life.
- Print length160 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarmony
- Publication dateDecember 30, 1998
- Dimensions5.71 x 0.63 x 7.03 inches
- ISBN-100767902386
- ISBN-13978-0767902380
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Review
—Richard Carlson, Ph.D., author of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
"How wonderful it would be if we were all given Chérie Carter-Scott's ten rules the day we were born. Chérie has been teaching these rules for over twenty years. In her seminars, these rules have resonated with thousands of people. If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules are universal truths that all of us can learn to live happier lives that are full of self-acceptance, understanding, love, success, and the inner knowing that we're all in this game together, on the same team. The door to a satisfying life lies within each of us, and Chérie's eternal inspiring message provides the key."
—Jack Canfield, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul
"The Ten Rules for Being Human are entertaining and fun--but more than that, they're TRUE."
—Marianne Williamson, author of The Healing of America and A Return to Love
"If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules will free you to wake up to your no-limit life."
—Mark Victor Hansen, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Soul
From the Inside Flap
1. You will receive a body.
2. You will be presented with lessons.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons.
4. Lessons are repeated until learned.
5. Learning does not end.
6. "There" is no better than "here."
7. Others are only mirrors of you.
8. What you make of your life is up to you.
9. All the answers lie inside of you.
10. You will forget all of this at birth.
If life is a game, what are the rules?
We all know the feeling: In the game of life, why am I the only one who doesn't know how to play? But now, help is at hand, because this wonderful little book will teach you the rules so that you can conquer life's challenges and manage its unpredictable ups and downs.
For one of her workshops several years ago, Chérie Carter-Scott, a corporate trainer and consultant, composed a list of basic truths about life, which she named "The Ten Rules for Being Human." Right away, the Rules resonated with her clients, who photocopied and passed the list to friends and relatives. Within months, Chérie's Rules were in thousands of homes all over the country, and eventually, they were published in Chicken Soup for the Soul and have also appeared in Ann Landers' column. Although there's no formula to help you win the game of life, Chérie's Rules convey a universal wisdom that, once understood and embraced, can contribute to meaningful relationships with ourselves and others, at work and in the home.
In If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules, Chérie shares that there are no mistakes in life, only lessons that are repeated. In thoughtful, inspirational essays illustrated with encouraging personal anecdotes, she includes the lessons that can be learned from each of the Rules and offers insights on self-esteem, respect, acceptance, forgiveness, ethics, compassion, humility, gratitude, and courage. Best of all, Chérie shows that wisdom lies inside each one of us and that by putting the Ten Rules for Being Human into action we can create a more fulfilling life.
Chicken Soup for the Soul, they instantly became a favorite section of that wildly successful book.
Now Carter-Scott, an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker, brings the rules to life by applying them to anecdotes drawn from her own encounters, as well as stories from her family, close friends, and workshop participants. Presented in a personal format, these steps to becoming a satisfied and well-adjusted person are sure to garner an even wider following. -->
From the Back Cover
1. You will receive a body.
2. You will be presented with lessons.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons.
4. Lessons are repeated until learned.
5. Learning does not end.
6. "There" is no better than "here."
7. Others are only mirrors of you.
8. What you make of your life is up to you.
9. All the answers lie inside of you.
10. You will forget all of this at birth.
If life is a game, what are the rules?
We all know the feeling: In the game of life, why am I the only one who doesn't know how to play? But now, help is at hand, because this wonderful little book will teach you the rules so that you can conquer life's challenges and manage its unpredictable ups and downs.
For one of her workshops several years ago, Cherie Carter-Scott, a corporate trainer and consultant, composed a list of basic truths about life, which she named "The Ten Rules for Being Human." Right away, the Rules resonated with her clients, who photocopied and passed the list to friends and relatives. Within months, Cherie's Rules were in thousands of homes all over the country, and eventually, they were published in Chicken Soup for the Soul and have also appeared in Ann Landers' column. Although there's no formula to help you win the game of life, Cherie's Rules convey a universal wisdom that, once understood and embraced, can contribute to meaningful relationships with ourselves and others, at work and in the home.
In If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules, Cherie shares that there are no mistakes in life, only lessons that are repeated. In thoughtful, inspirational essays illustrated with encouraging personal anecdotes, she includes thelessons that can be learned from each of the Rules and offers insights on self-esteem, respect, acceptance, forgiveness, ethics, compassion, humility, gratitude, and courage. Best of all, Cherie shows that wisdom lies inside each one of us and that by putting the Ten Rules for Being Human into action we can create a more fulfilling life.
Chicken Soup for the Soul, they instantly became a favorite section of that wildly successful book.
Now Carter-Scott, an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker, brings the rules to life by applying them to anecdotes drawn from her own encounters, as well as stories from her family, close friends, and workshop participants. Presented in a personal format, these steps to becoming a satisfied and well-adjusted person are sure to garner an even wider following. -->
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
In 1974, when I was twenty-five years old, I passed through a premature midlife crisis. I had pursued a career in teaching to please my mother, and then a career in acting to please myself. Neither one really satisfied me, and I was confused about what was next. The suggestions I received from family and friends only exacerbated the confusion. I didn't know where to turn for answers and so I started to pray for guidance.
After several weeks, I received three clear "messages"--from what divine source I was not really sure--that answered my questions. The first stated, "You are a catalyst for discovery." The second said, "You will work in growth and development." The third came through loud and clear, "You have a gift for working with people."
I knew these three messages were the answer to my prayers, but I didn't know how to deploy them. These three "revelations" didn't point to an industry or provide me with a job description, so I was left trying to figure out what to do. I formulated a sentence: "I am a catalytic agent who works with people in their growth and development."
From that moment on, the messages came to me on a regular basis. They led me to create my seminar, the Inner Negotiation/Self-Esteem Workshop. In addition to the messages, people also started coming to me--to learn how to find their own inner answers. I started seeing people in one-to-one sessions to help them discover their own messages. Shortly thereafter, these same people requested a course in which they could quiet the voices of the mind and listen to their inner spirit. Subsequently, when I received requests from my clients, I responded by creating the programs they requested. People heard their inner directives, received answers to their questions, and, in turn, told their friends. And so my consulting business was launched, as well as a subsequent training program to teach other people how to do the same work I was doing.
One day, as I sat designing the training program for the Consultants Training, the Rules for Being Human came through me onto the paper. I thought, "I have been asking for these answers my whole life, and finally they have been delivered to me." The Rules answered the fundamental question I'd asked, "What is the purpose of life?" Delighted, I decided to include them as a handout in the three-month training course.
In the last twenty-four years, the Rules for Being Human have circled the globe--photocopied and passed from friend to friend, transmitted via the Internet, printed on brochures and on page 81 in the book Jack Canfield wrote, Chicken Soup for the Soul®, where the Rules were attributed to "Anonymous." One day Jack called to say he'd heard from Dan Millman, the author of The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, that I was the author of the Rules for Being Human. Jack asked if that was true. When I acknowledged that I was, Jack apologized and offered to give me credit in the next printing.
Years have passed since that day. The most recent message that I have received was to write a book about the ten rules, so they can be passed on to everyone who is looking for a template for living a happy life. My hope is that this book will be a spiritual primer for those who are just setting out on their path, and a gentle reminder for those already well on their way.
Enjoy Ten Rules for Being Human, share them with others, use them to initiate conversations you have always wanted to have. Most of all, apply the Rules to your own life. Learn the lessons, listen to your messages, align with your spiritual DNA, and fulfill all your dreams.
Blessings on your journey,
Chérie Carter-Scott, Ph.D.
Introduction
"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood."
Helen Keller
Life has often been compared to a game. We are never told the rules, unfortunately, nor given any instructions about how to play. We simply begin at "Go" and make our way around the board, hoping we play it right. We don't exactly know the objective of playing, nor what it means to actually win.
That is what Ten Rules for Being Human is all about. These are the guidelines to playing the game we call life, but they are also much more than that. These Rules will provide you with a basic spiritual primer for what it means to be a human. They are universal truths that everyone inherently knows but has forgotten somewhere along the way. They form the foundation of how we can live a fulfilling, meaningful life.
Each Rule presents its own challenge, which in turn provides certain lessons we all need to learn. Lessons are what you learn when you come up against problems that need to be solved and issues that need to be exorcised. Every person on the planet has his or her own set of lessons to learn that are separate and unique from everyone else's, and these lessons, as you will see in Rule Four, will reappear until they are mastered.
The Ten Rules for Being Human are not magic, nor do they promise ten easy steps to serenity. They offer no quick fix for emotional or spiritual ailments, and they are not fast-track secrets to enlightenment. Their only purpose is to give you a road map to follow as you travel your path of spiritual growth.
These Rules are not the oppressive rules and regulations that tell us what we should or should not do, or think, or say. These Rules are not mandates, but rather guidelines as to how to play the game. There is nothing you absolutely must do. I hope this book will help you to become more aware of them. By learning the valuable lessons and wisdom they offer, your journey on this Earth might just be a little bit easier.
Rule One: You Will Receive a Body
Rule Two: You Will Be Presented With Lessons
Rule Three: There Are No Mistakes, Only Lessons
Rule Four: A Lesson Is Repeated Until Learned
Rule Five: Learning Does Not End
Rule Six: "There" Is No Better Than "Here"
Rule Seven: Others Are Only Mirrors of You
Rule Eight: What You Make of Your Life Is Up to You
Rule Nine: All Your Answers Lie Inside of You
Rule Ten: You Will Forget All of This at Birth
Product details
- Publisher : Harmony; English Language edition (December 30, 1998)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 160 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0767902386
- ISBN-13 : 978-0767902380
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.71 x 0.63 x 7.03 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #159,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,001 in Personal Finance (Books)
- #121,233 in Literature & Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

New York Times No. 1 best-selling author Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott is an international author, corporate coach, entrepreneur, consultant, lecturer, teacher, trainer, talk-show host, and seminar leader. Her company, Motivation Management Service Institute Inc., has reached millions of people worldwide. She has promoted her books internationally, including more than 400 appearances on television and radio. Her highly successful books include If Love Is a Game, These Are the Rules; If Success Is a Game, These Are the Rules; If High School Is a Game, Here's How to Break the Rules; The Gift of Motherhood; and Negaholics. Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott is available for speeches and personal and corporate coaching and training. Her Web site is www.themms.com.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book insightful and relatable, providing good advice for daily living. They describe it as an easy, quick read that makes life understandable. The book offers sound advice for navigating life's challenges and helping you focus on what's important.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book insightful and helpful for navigating life. It offers advice and perspective that helps them focus on what's important. The simple approach helps readers put things into perspective and appreciate the potential lessons in everyday experiences.
"...The lessons presented in this book are universal truths. It helps you change the way you think, approach, perceive and look at things...." Read more
"...The spiritual truths are presented in a very simple way, which will be acceptable even to those who are not that open to spirituality...." Read more
"Offering sound advice and insight for navigating the game of life, this enjoyable book is an enjoyable and quick read." Read more
"...Definitely an easy read and full of great insight and advice to help you focus in what is truly important in life." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read and understandable. They say it's a quick, must-read for anyone. The rules are simple and sensible, with many aha moments throughout.
"A must read for any human. Nice size print is easy on the eyes and the hardback is not terribly heavy. Great coffee table book." Read more
"...This is a short and simple to read book that will help one understand their life and how we can learn from it and improve it...." Read more
"...navigating the game of life, this enjoyable book is an enjoyable and quick read." Read more
"...Definitely an easy read and full of great insight and advice to help you focus in what is truly important in life." Read more
Customers find the book's advice helpful. They say it helps them understand their lives and how they can learn from them. The book offers a simple approach to life that helps them focus on what's important. It offers sound advice and insight for navigating the game of life, with rules or guidelines to follow in each chapter. Customers find it great for families and friends, as it makes them think and look at things in a different light.
"A must read for any human. Nice size print is easy on the eyes and the hardback is not terribly heavy. Great coffee table book." Read more
"...This is a short and simple to read book that will help one understand their life and how we can learn from it and improve it...." Read more
"Offering sound advice and insight for navigating the game of life, this enjoyable book is an enjoyable and quick read." Read more
"...It puts things into perspective. Makes you look at things in a different light, rather than being negative about the things or lessons in your life,..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2019I would highly recommend this book to anyone who feels like they are "programmed", or wondering why the same thing keeps happening to them. I would also recommend this book to anyone with a need to always control the outcome or dictate what others should say, do or behave.
For me, I discovered this book because I kept having car repairs that wiped out my savings reserves everytime I ended up rebuilding my savings. $($800). Whenever I hit this amount, my car would always break. so I wondered why the same thing kept happening. upon asking the "source of truth", it led me to this book. crazy how that works.
The lessons presented in this book are universal truths. It helps you change the way you think, approach, perceive and look at things.
I wish I could meet Cherie. Hopefully she sees my review on this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024A must read for any human. Nice size print is easy on the eyes and the hardback is not terribly heavy. Great coffee table book.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2001If you are not sure why life seems to be dealing you a bad hand, this is a book, which might help you a lot. I found this book after I had read my fair share of self-help books, and after years of trying to apply every principle that made me successful at work to my private life... without result. The spiritual truths are presented in a very simple way, which will be acceptable even to those who are not that open to spirituality. The book was an eye opener and taught me to look for the potential lesson in every situation I face. Three years after reading it, I have given it as gift to at least a dozen people, and all claim to have benefited from it. Buy it, read it, apply it, you will enjoy the result.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2012I am sure we have all experienced situations that keep repeating itself, not necessarily the same way as before but still repeats itself. This book explains how there are lessons to be learned with things that happen in our lives and until we learn the lesson it will be presented to us again at a later date. This is a short and simple to read book that will help one understand their life and how we can learn from it and improve it. Best to read the book more than once for re-enforcement. Fabulous book!
- Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2015Offering sound advice and insight for navigating the game of life, this enjoyable book is an enjoyable and quick read.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2017Excellent book, especially if you are figuring things out (i.e. Your 20's) or if you are transitioning to the next decade of life and need to prioritize (again). I have purchased this for several people and loan out my copy several times. Definitely an easy read and full of great insight and advice to help you focus in what is truly important in life.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2021Life changing! Read it and read it always! Share it with everyone. Her questions create a handbook for the rules.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2011If you have questions regarding life, you're purpose and why things happen this book is for you! It puts things into perspective. Makes you look at things in a different light, rather than being negative about the things or lessons in your life, it shows you to look at it in a different light, a more positive light. The little stories she shares in the book are great! You can relate to it, it's a very real book.
Top reviews from other countries
-
Caio PereiraReviewed in Brazil on May 31, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars A vida é uma sequência de lições a serem aprendidas
Que livro legal. Mudou algumas perspectivas que eu tinha acerca da minha vida e dos acontecimentos. É possível aprender a cada capítulo desse livro. Muito legal. Estamos nessa vida para evoluir, para aprendermos. E para cada um de nós, existem lições a serem aprendidas.
Hoje tendemos a nos comparar com situações e vidas de outras pessoas, sem prestarmos atenção ao que nossa vida está nos mostrando. Temos de nos concentrar no que temos de aprender para avançarmos para a próxima fase.
Livro muito legal! Recomendo!
- stephReviewed in Germany on January 3, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Quickly read, entertaining and thought provoking
Absolutely loved this read. Fun, engaging and thought provoking. Wisdom for all generations.
Might also be a nice present for graduations
- Jay KrishReviewed in India on December 30, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite book
This book has been my favorite for years as it helps you look at a perspective nonone can deny...my kinda book. If u read n assimilate it's philosophies...ur life is blissful.
- Jehad Abu-UlbehReviewed in Canada on June 24, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars A Guide for Life
I loved this book and read it 3 times already. It's a must read for everyone. Even if you think you mastered your life, there is something to learn. I bought the book as gifts for friends...
- George MtengetiReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book. A must read.
This book is very good. I recommend it to any one who wants to dig deep into themselves and cultivate their own version of success. It's all a game.