The land of Shoulds

Ramaratnam
2 min readOct 23, 2022

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We live in a land of shoulds. This word is used very often both as advice and admonition. Some people take shoulds negatively and ignore them. They don’t like to be advised. Those who take it seriously are transformed.

There are many shoulds we are going to listen to during the course of our lives. Here is a sampler

There are also an equal or more number of shouldnts we will be subjected to

You should-

  1. Exercise
  2. Eat healthy food
  3. Wake up early
  4. Sleep early
  5. Be hydrated
  6. Eat regularly
  7. Be polite
  8. Be helpfu
  9. Be sincere
  10. Be brave and courageous

11. Be honest

12. Meditate daily

13. Network and socialise

14. Learn something new

15. Grow and mature

16. Be Generous

17. Be forgiving

18. Be cheerful

19. Be circumspect

20. Be active and agile

21. Let go

22. Be loving

23. Be kind

24. Be punctual

25. Be loyal

26. Be devoted

27. Be trustworthy

28. Be hardworking

29. Be respectful

30. Be dignified

31. Apologise

32. Be confident

33. Be humble

34. Be creative

35. Save money

36. Invest wisely

37. Spend carefully

38. Give to charity

39. Relax

40. Eat slowly

41. Articulate clearly

42. Write legibly

43. Introspect

44. Be responsible

45. Smile often

46. Control anger

47. Be innovative

48. Be hopeful

49. Be enthusiastic

50. Be spontaneous

51. Be caring

52. Be adventurous

53. Be large hearted

54. Be strong

55. Be unbiased

56. Be empathetic

57. Be thoughtful

58. Be conscientious

59. Be calm

60. Be optimistic

61. Be friendly

62. Be warm

63. Be considerate

64. Be productive

65. Be active

66. Be attentive

67. Be realistic

68. Be curious

69. Be modest

70. Be patient

71. Be resourceful

72. Be appreciative

73. Be imaginative

74. Be reasonable

75. Be authentic

76. Be determined

77. Be proactive

78. Be tolerant

79. Be flexible

80. Be passionate

81. Be persuasive

82. Be happy

83. Be compassionate

84. Be ambitious

85. Listen to me

86. Pray daily

87. Take care of your parents

88. Study hard

89. Keep learning

90. Be positive

91. Take a stand

92. Be self motivated

93. Listen to elders

94. Be careful

95. Be cautious

96. Be nice

97. Follow the scriptures

98. Cultivate good habits

99. Think healthy thoughts

100. Listen intently

101. Spend time wisely

102. Be energetic

103. Plan for retirement

104. Learn new skills

105. Desire less

106. Lose weight

107. Consult an expert

108. Discover your purpose

109. Have goals

110. Take a break

111. Follow your heart

112. Leave a legacy

113. Forget the past

114. Hope for the best

115. Prepare for the worst

116. Be in the present

117. Be mindful

118. Give more

119. Be grateful

120. Follow the rules

121. Do your best

122. Live life to the fullest

123. Be sensitive

124. Be systematic

125. Be rational

126. Be disciplined

127. Honour your word

128. Keep your promises

129. Make it big in life

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Ramaratnam
Ramaratnam

Written by Ramaratnam

Live in Chennai, India. Interested in life subjects and how the mind works. Articles attempt to give perspectives on life

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