Paladin Prophecy 2: Alliance (29 page)

#1: THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ORDERLY MIND.

#2: STAY FOCUSED ON THE TASK AT HAND.

#3: DON’T DRAW ATTENTION TO YOURSELF.

#4: IF YOU THINK YOU’RE DONE, YOU’VE JUST BEGUN.

#5: TRUST NO ONE.

#6: REMAIN ALERT AT ALL TIMES TO THE REALITY OF THE PRESENT. BECAUSE ALL WE HAVE IS RIGHT NOW.

#7: DON’T CONFUSE GOOD LUCK WITH A GOOD PLAN.

#8: ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO IMPROVISE.

#9: WATCH, LOOK, AND LISTEN, OR YOU WON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE MISSING.

#10: DON’T JUST REACT TO A SITUATION THAT TAKES YOU BY SURPRISE.
RESPOND.

#11: TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS.

#12: LET THE OTHER GUY DO THE TALKING.

#13: YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION.

#14: ASK ALL QUESTIONS IN THE ORDER OF THEIR IMPORTANCE.

#15: BE QUICK, BUT DON’T HURRY.

#16: ALWAYS LOOK PEOPLE IN THE EYE. GIVE THEM A HANDSHAKE THEY’LL REMEMBER.

#17: START EACH DAY BY SAYING IT’S GOOD TO BE ALIVE. EVEN IF YOU DON’T FEEL IT,
SAYING
IT—OUT LOUD—MAKES IT MORE LIKELY THAT YOU WILL.

#18: IF #17 DOESN’T WORK, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.

#19: WHEN EVERYTHING GOES WRONG, TREAT DISASTER AS A WAY TO WAKE UP.

#20: THERE MUST ALWAYS BE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EVIDENCE AND CONCLUSION.

#21: FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD.

#22: WHENEVER YOUR HEAD IS TOO FULL OF NOISE, MAKE A LIST.

#23: WHEN THERE’S TROUBLE, THINK FAST AND ACT DECISIVELY.

#24: YOU CAN’T CHANGE ANYTHING IF YOU CAN’T CHANGE YOUR MIND.

#25: WHAT YOU’RE TOLD TO BELIEVE ISN’T IMPORTANT: IT’S WHAT YOU
CHOOSE
TO BELIEVE. IT’S NOT THE INK AND PAPER THAT MATTER, BUT THE HAND THAT HOLDS THE PEN.

#26: ONCE IS AN ANOMALY. TWICE IS A COINCIDENCE. THREE TIMES IS A PATTERN. AND AS WE KNOW …

#27: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A COINCIDENCE.

#28: LET PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE YOU. THAT WAY THEY’LL NEVER KNOW FOR SURE WHAT YOU’RE CAPABLE OF.

#29: YOU COULD ALSO THINK OF COINCIDENCE AS SYNCHRONICITY.

#30: SOMETIMES THE ONLY WAY TO DEAL WITH A BULLY IS TO HIT FIRST. HARD.

#31: IT’S NOT A BAD THING, SOMETIMES, IF THEY THINK YOU’RE CRAZY.

#32: EVEN THE SLIGHTEST ADVANTAGE CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. NEVER GIVE IT AWAY.

#34: ACT AS IF YOU’RE IN CHARGE, AND PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE YOU.

#35: TRYING TIMES ARE NOT THE TIMES TO STOP TRYING.

#40: NEVER MAKE EXCUSES.

#41: SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE SLEEPY. CATS TAKE NAPS SO THEY’RE ALWAYS READY FOR ANYTHING.

#43: THE BRAVEST THING IS NOT ALWAYS THE SMARTEST THING.

#45: COOPERATE WITH THE AUTHORITIES. BUT DON’T NAME FRIENDS.

#46: IF STRANGERS KNOW WHAT YOU’RE FEELING, YOU GIVE THEM THE ADVANTAGE.

#47: OUT-OF-CONTROL ANGER WILL GET YOU KILLED EVEN QUICKER THAN STUPIDITY.

#48: NEVER START A FIGHT UNLESS YOU CAN FINISH IT. FAST.

#49: WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, JUST BREATHE.

#50: IN TIMES OF CHAOS, STICK TO ROUTINE. BUILD ORDER ONE STEP AT A TIME.

#51: THE ONLY THING YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE IS HOPE.

#52: TO BREAK THE ICE, ALWAYS COMPLIMENT A MAN’S HOMETOWN.

#53: AND ALWAYS SYMPATHIZE WITH HIS HOMETOWN’S FOOTBALL TEAM.

#54: IF YOU CAN’T BE ON TIME, BE EARLY.

#55: IF YOU FAIL TO PREPARE, YOU PREPARE TO FAIL.

#56: GIVING UP IS EASY. FINISHING IS HARD.

#57: IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON IN A SMALL TOWN, HANG AROUND THE BARBERSHOP.

#58: FACING THE TRUTH IS A LOT EASIER, IN THE LONG RUN, THAN LYING TO YOURSELF.

#59: SOMETIMES YOU FIND OUT MORE WHEN YOU ASK QUESTIONS TO WHICH YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER.

#60: IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE ANSWER YOU GET, YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE ASKED THE QUESTION.

#61: IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE THE RIGHT WAY, DO IT YOURSELF.

#62: IF YOU DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO NOTICE YOU, ACT LIKE YOU BELONG THERE AND LOOK BUSY.

#63: THE BEST WAY TO LIE IS TO INCLUDE PART OF THE TRUTH.

#65: THE DUMBEST GUY IN A ROOM IS THE FIRST ONE WHO TELLS YOU HOW SMART HE IS.

#68: NEVER SIGN A LEGAL DOCUMENT THAT HASN’T BEEN APPROVED BY A LAWYER WHO WORKS FOR YOU.

#70: WHEN YOU’RE IN TROUBLE, EMPHASIZE YOUR STRENGTHS.

#72: WHEN IN A NEW PLACE, ACT LIKE YOU’VE BEEN THERE BEFORE.

#73: LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TACTICS AND STRATEGY.

#74: 99 PERCENT OF THE THINGS YOU WORRY ABOUT NEVER HAPPEN. DOES THAT MEAN WORRYING WORKS OR THAT IT’S A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME AND ENERGY? YOU DECIDE.

#75: WHEN YOU NEED TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION, DON’T LET WHAT YOU CAN’T DO INTERFERE WITH WHAT YOU CAN.

#76: WHEN YOU GAIN THE ADVANTAGE, PRESS IT TO THE LIMIT.

#77: THE SWISS ARMY DOESN’T AMOUNT TO MUCH, BUT NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEIR KNIFE.

#78: THERE’S A REASON THE CLASSICS ARE CLASSICS: THEY’RE
CLASSIC.

#79: DON’T MAKE ANOTHER’S PAIN THE SOURCE OF YOUR OWN HAPPINESS.

#80: GO EASY ON THE HARD SELL. PERSUASION IS THE ART OF MAKING OTHERS BELIEVE IT WAS
THEIR
IDEA

#81: NEVER TAKE MORE THAN YOU NEED.

#82: WITHOUT A LIFE OF THE MIND, YOU’LL LIVE A MINDLESS LIFE.

#83: JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE PARANOID DOESN’T MEAN THAT SORRY IS BETTER THAN SAFE.

#84: WHEN NOTHING ELSE WORKS, TRY CHOCOLATE.

#86: NEVER BE NERVOUS WHEN TALKING TO A BEAUTIFUL GIRL. JUST PRETEND SHE’S A PERSON, TOO.

#87: MEN WANT COMPANY. WOMEN WANT EMPATHY.

#88: ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE PERSON WITH THE WHISTLE.

#91: THERE IS NOT—NOR SHOULD THERE BE—ANY LIMIT TO WHAT A GUY WILL GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO IMPRESS THE RIGHT GIRL.

#92: IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TELL YOU MORE, SAY LESS. OPEN YOUR EYES AND EARS, AND CLOSE YOUR MOUTH.

#94: YOU CAN FIND MOST OF THE WEAPONS OR EQUIPMENT YOU’LL EVER NEED AROUND THE HOUSE.

#96: MEMORIZE THE BILL OF RIGHTS.

#97: REGARDING EYEWEAR AND UNDERWEAR: ALWAYS TRAVEL WITH BACKUPS.

#98: DON’T WATCH YOUR LIFE LIKE IT’S A MOVIE THAT’S HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE. IT’S HAPPENING TO
YOU.
IT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

#100: STAY ALIVE.

OPEN ALL DOORS, AND AWAKEN.

Thanks to Jim Thomas, editor extraordinaire. Ed Victor and Sophie Hicks, agents provocateur. All the great and talented at Random House Children’s Books. Susie Putnam, Jeff Freilich, Deepak Nayar, David Lynch, Carolyn Roberts. And Lynn and Travis, first, last and always …

MARK FROST studied directing and playwriting at Carnegie Mellon University. He partnered with David Lynch to create and executive produce the groundbreaking television series
Twin Peaks.
Frost cowrote the screenplays for the films
Fantastic Four
and
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
He is also the
New York Times
bestselling author of eight previous books, including
The List of Seven, The Second Objective, The Greatest Game Ever Played,
and
The Match.
To learn more, visit
ByMarkFrost.com
.