If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules [Hardcover]

Cherie Carter-Scott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1998

The Ten Rules For Being Human:
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. -->

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you loved "The Rules for Being Human" attributed to "Anonymous" in the bestseller Chicken Soup for the Soul, you're in luck. The author--corporate trainer Chérie Carter-Scott, Ph.D.--has stepped forward and written a follow-up book: If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules. This book, "a basic spiritual primer for what it means to be a human," discusses each of the 10 rules (e.g., "There are no mistakes, only lessons," and "Lessons are repeated until learned,") and discusses them with kindness, eloquence, and wisdom. For example, rule 1 is, "You will receive a body. You may love it or hate it, but it will be yours for the duration of your life on Earth." Carter-Scott discusses the challenge of making peace with the body we've been given, and the lessons of acceptance (appreciating it as it is), self-esteem (viewing yourself as worthy, despite how your body looks or performs), respect (treating it like a "valuable and irreplaceable object"), and pleasure (indulging in the five senses to "unlock the joy stored within you"). Similarly, each of the rules has four "lessons." You'll read this inspirational book more than once, and mark quotes to tell friends. --Joan Price

Review

Advance Praise for If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules:

"If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules is a template for living. Everyone needs to read these words of wisdom. It's 'simple' yet important stuff."
--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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Crown Archetype; 1ST edition (September 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767902386
• ISBN-13: 978-0767902380
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More 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

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Soul Searcher, March 19, 2000

By 

Truth is Out There (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules (Hardcover)

For all of you fans of the book, "Chicken Soup for the Soul", there is a new book out there that unveils the ten greatest rules about living life as a human being. In fact, the forward is written by Jack Canfield ( of 'Chicken Soup' fame) and has an interesting story. You see, the first version of Chicken Soup had a list called "The Ten Rules for Being Human" signed by 'anonymous'. Turns out, Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott was the author of those Ten Rules and, with a little encouragement, she's put together this fabulous little book to help us reprogram the gray matter in our skulls.

The book is laid out in an extremely easy to read format and divided into Ten Chapters, or Rules, if you will. In these 133 pages, are such eye opening revelations, such as: Chapter # 3 There Are No Mistakes Only Lessons and Chapter # 4 A Lesson is Repeated Until Learned. These two chapters alone are worth the price of admission! Time and again, you may have witnessed a friend, or even yourself repeating a situation in life, over and over. Whether it's always going out with the same type of people, trusting the wrong people, or simply making the most difficult choices, these are symptoms of not understanding that life will always present you with the same type of situations, until you have learned to master them. It's not bad luck, but probably unwise decision making that gives us the same outcome. Until a person makes a 'conscious' decision to adjust their cycle of thinking, and break out of the pattern, life will always seem to dole out the same rewards.

Another great chapter is #9: "All Your Answers Lie Inside of You". Sometimes we know what's best for us and we still decide to go against it. What you need, what you seek and who you are is embedded within you. This book is not about games, it's about living life to the fullest and achieving the next level of consciousness. An excellent gift for the soul searcher!

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The rules come alive in this thought-provoking book, October 19, 2003

By 

Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" (Belle Meade, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules (Cards)

In the bestseller CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL, there was a
passage entitled "The Rules for Being Human" . . . it was originally
attributed to "Anonymous," but the author (Cherie Carter-Scott)
eventually came forward and wrote a follow-up book: IF LIFE IS
A GAME, THESE ARE THE RULES.

In this latter effort, Carter-Scott makes the rules come alive by
relating them to stories drawn from her own encounters, along
with examples from her family, close friends and workshop
participants . . . you almost feel as if she is talking with you
personally.

I found this short book to be most thought-provoking and
one that I will want to revisit--often.

There were several memorable passages . . . however, methinks
that you'll most enjoy just thinking about the various rules
that follow:

Rule One:
You will receive a body.
You may love it or hate it, but it will be yours for the duration
of your life on Earth.

Rule Two:
You will be presented with lessons.
You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called "life."
Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to
learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them, but
you have designed them as part of your curriculum.

Rule Three:
There are no mistakes, only lessons.
Growth is a process of experimentation, a series of trials, errors,
and occasional victories. The failed experiments are as much a
part of the process as the experiments that work.

Rule Four:
A lesson is repeated until learned.
Lessons will repeated to you in various forms until you have
learned them. When you have learned them, you can then go on
to the next lesson.

Rule Five:
Learning does not end.
There is no part of life that does not contain lessons. If you are
alive, there are lessons to be learned.

Rule Six:
"There" is no better than "here."
When your "there" has become a "here," you will simply obtain
a "there" that will look better to you than your present "here."

Rule Seven:
Others are only mirrors of you.
You cannot love or hate something about another person unless
it reflects something you love or hate about yourself.

Rule Eight:
What you make of your life is up to you.
You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with
them is up to you.

Rule Nine:
Your answers lie inside of you.
All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

Rule Ten:
You will forget all of this at birth.
You can remember it if you want by unraveling the double helix
of inner knowing.

In addition, I liked the inspirational quotes that were utilized
to help drive home some of the author's many points . . . among them:

No one can make you feel inferior without your
consent.--Eleanor Roosevelt

Life doesn't require that we be the best-only that we try
our best.--H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to
succeed is always to try just one more time.--Thomas Edison

I had previously read Carter-Scott's excellent IF SUCCESS IS A GAME,
THESE ARE THE RULES . . . you can now count me as a fan
of her work, so that means I'll be looking forward to her next
effort--and will now go back and find some of her previous works.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great, well-written book of life!, December 29, 1999

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: If Life Is a Game, These Are the Rules (Hardcover)

I loved this book. It is filled with practical, common-sense guidelines for getting through life. Instead of just reading this book, try to apply it and see the difference it can make in your life. I especially liked that it is a well-written, easy-to-understand text book for being human that one can read in just a few hours. Thank you Dr. Carter-Scott for bringing us all back to the simple basics!