Robert Louis Stevenson

Do You Have a Daily Dozen?

Too few of us take the time to think through the values and moral precepts that guide our lives. Here is an edited version of writer Robert Louis Stevenson’s (1850-1894) personal creed:

1. Make up your mind to be happy.
2. Make the best of your circumstances.
3. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
4. Don’t let criticism worry you.
5. Be yourself.
6. Stay out of debt.
7. Don’t borrow trouble; imaginary troubles are hard to bear.
8. Don’t hold grudges; avoid people who make you unhappy.
9. Have a variety of interests; go places or read about them.
10. Don’t brood; get over it.
11. Help those less fortunate.
12. Keep busy; a busy person never has time to be unhappy.

Today is Robert Louis Stevenson's birthday. Born Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson (November 13, 1850 – December 3, 1894), he was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of Neo-romanticism in English literature. He was greatly admired by many authors, including Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway, Rudyard Kipling and Vladimir Nabokov. He prepared for a law career but never practiced. He travelled frequently, partly in search of better climates for his weak lungs (possibly due to tuberculosis), which contributed to his death at age 44.