100 rules for 100 years

               Dick Van Dyke is one of my favorite entertainers.  He’s right up there with Danny Kaye, in my opinion.  Last year, he celebrated his 100^th birthday by having a book published entitled 100 Rules for Living to 100.

               Although it is my desire to follow in his footsteps and live a healthy life to that wonderful number, the rules apply no matter what age you hope to achieve!  Each rule, or nearly each one, is supplemented with a story or two from his own experiences.  Those are a treasure trove!

               I won’t list each of the 100 rules.  That’s likely a copyright issue, but I am going to talk just a little about six of them.  The first one that struck me as one to which to pay attention is “Find Your People.”  He writes eloquently about family, friends, and co-workers who support you along your life’s journey.  Once you find them, it’s important to keep them close and support them in return. Living to 100, he acknowledges that we lose some along the way.  To that he advises:  “they’ve left us with the tools we need to find new playmates, for a moment or forever.”

               One of my favorites is “Suck Up to the Landlady.”  This was mostly a section in which he described his relationship with another of my favorite celebrities – Lucille Ball.  Ms. Ball was his “landlady” (and lifelong friend) because his television show was filmed at Desilu Studios.  While this rule is mostly in good fun, it’s also really good advice.

               In a more serious vein is his rule “It’s Doesn’t Take a Good Boss to Do Great Work.”  This is an invaluable lesson to all of us, because everyone, at one time or another, has had a really terrible boss.  That doesn’t mean that the work product isn’t good, though, and often, it’s great.  He phrased it better in saying, “There are a lot of mediocre bosses and leaders out here, but we can’t let their mediocrity drag us down…Together, you can turn life into energy, character, and emotion!”

               Possibly my favorite of his rules is “Retire on Your Own Terms.”  He was 68 years old when he was offered “Diagnosis: Murder” on CBS.  Andy Griffith called him to advise him to turn it down, because working was just too hard at that age.  But Dick took the job and had a successful eight seasons.  He did it on his terms – and these terms apply to anyone who’s retiring.  He prioritized “family time” (and did this by including several members of his family on the show).  He stayed fit.  That’s a big one!  And, finally, he did all the things he loved (dancing, magic tricks, jazz, singing) as part of the show.  Engaging in his favorite pastimes with his favorite people made all the difference – it made “work” not hard at all.

               Another one that hit close to home for me is “Write it Down.”  As a person who keeps a daily journal, I thought I knew what he was going to say.  I didn’t.  He talks about writing down any idea that comes to us, nuggets of wisdom to tell your grandkids, and ideas for presents.  He writes, “If each one of us kept a record of all the incredible, transformative things that are possible for us to do, we’d be one step closer to actually doing them.”

               The final rule I appreciated is “Find Your Arlene.”  His longtime love, soulmate, and wife is his number one fan.  He writes “Arlene shows me all the ways I am young. When I worry about death, she tells me I am life.  When darkness creeps in, she turns on the magic.  Now you try it.  Be Arlene.  When darkness creeps in, turn on the magic.”  Dick advises us not to merely find our Arlene, but to be Arlene for someone else.  That’s the best advice, ever.

               The whole book is a treasure. Published in 2025 by Point Productions, Inc., you can find it at our local bookstore or online.  It’s a wonderful way to start a new year.