Which is actually better, a Rule or a Suggestion?

A Rule is –

a prescribed guide for conduct or action;
an order or direction;
a regulating principle;
a usually valid generalization;
a standard of judgment.

To Suggest is -

Suggest stresses putting into the mind by association of ideas,
awakening of a desire, or initiating a train of thought

to seek to influence;
to mention or imply as a possibility;
to propose as desirable or fitting;
to offer for consideration;
to serve as a motive or inspiration for.

A Suggestion is –

The process by which a physical or mental state
is influenced by a thought or idea.

The process by which one thought leads to another
especially through association of ideas.

Easter has different individual meanings for many of us. 
For some of us it has great religious meaning.  
For others it means a new wardrobe and annual church attendance.
Many of us associate it with colored eggs and chocolate bunnies.
All these things symbolize a new beginning.

On Good Friday while in my yard i tripped and fell backwards on my left wrist,
breaking the two bones that connect my forearm to my wrist.
My left arm is in a temporary splint, and tomorrow it will get a cast.       
A side effect of my WLS 18 years ago is a restriction against all aspirin based drugs,
and my body's intolerance for many prescription pain killers. This currently limits me to
Tylenol for pain relief.. . . . Although I am not absolutely convinced that the ears of a
chocolate bunny would not provide additional assistance toward that goal.

Currently I must also use the one finger typing method which takes much more
time and effort.  This might result in shorter articles and comments for awhile.

I have several recipe videos already filmed, and will be posting them once a week
until they are gone.  After that there may be a delay before I can make more.

The Thinspiration Moment videos are much easier to do, and i've shot quite a few of them already,
so I don't anticipate an interruption of that function.

I am continuing to weigh daily, and to track my food.  When I get my cast, I will use that scale
number as my beginning stabilized  weight for maintenance and weight-loss. Hopefully this
will give me a small weight-loss to look forward to when my arm heals and the cast is removed.

Life happens.    Behaviors leading to Weight-loss and Maintenance need to continue
despite individual difficulties and setbacks.  Each of us goes through hard times on occasion,
and sometimes we respond with an inappropriate use of food. The same for good times.
But each day, each hour, each minute is a new beginning for us. 

 
If you expect to fail, you will.
The word “Failure”
is simply a concept meaning the Opposite of SUCCESS.

Words are the way we label concepts,
and are often very powerful.

No matter what term you use to label Failures,
it doesn't change what they are.
Failure is a label for a Concept meaning the Opposite of SUCCESS.

Many Dieters don’t like the word “failure”,
and look for different labels.
Some choose to call failures "exceptions" or "indulgences" or “cheat days”

The word “failure” is frequently used in the concept of Diets
to describe a “deviation” from the rules of that particular eating plan.
However, one might be better served to
devise rules that include an occasional “deviation”,
which would exclude that “deviation” from being a “failure”.

 Lets look at the definitions of some of these words.

Failure: to be unsuccessful.
Deviation: a noticeable departure from a rule.
Exception: a case in which a rule does not apply.
Indulge: to give free rein to, to yield to the desire of.
Cheat: to violate rules dishonestly.

Failure is the only above-listed word that conveys
the meaning of: "to be unsuccessful".
Deviation simply indicates "a departure from a rule".

However, the words “Exception”, Indulge” and “Cheat”
are not effective "replacement" labels
for the word "Failure" or for the word "Deviation".

The word Cheat means to get something by dishonesty or deception.
Cheat suggests using trickery that escapes observation.
I find the word “cheat” an especially inappropriate label to use while dieting
because it indicates an attempt to circumvent both
the need for personal ACCOUNTABILITY
as well as the need to avoid DENIAL.

In a Diet exactly WHO is one “cheating”?  
Of course, the actual answer is that one is “cheating” oneself,
and to trick or deceive oneself is to deliberately put oneself in Denial,
which is a mental method to avoid accepting responsibility for personal behavior.

The terms, "Exceptions" and "Indulgences" and “Cheat”
by definition actually give permission to noticeably depart from the rules.
Giving oneself the ability to excuse oneself from following specific rules at-will,
renders an entire Plan ineffective.

Regarding labels, there’s an old saying that one should "call a spade a spade".
It’s probably important do that.
A rule that doesn't need to be followed, is merely a suggestion.

Perhaps when dealing with the concept of Dieting,
it might be better to replace the label “rule” with the label “guideline”.

Rule: a prescribed guide for conduct or action; a regulation or law controlling conduct.
Guideline: a line by which one is guided; an indication or outline of policy or conduct.

The Bottom Line is:
You can attach many labels to the concept of Dieting.
However, no matter what label you choose to use to describe
the concept of successful BEHAVIOR within any diet or eating plan
Every minute, every day, you can choose to Succeed or to Fail.

"Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble,
it's a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself, it is still a beautiful world.

You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams
it is still a beautiful world.

                              
Take a look at your priorities and your goals.
Where did they come from?

Are they the products of soul-searching, self-analysis, and careful planning?
Or are they a reaction to pressures from other people?
Did you find them within yourself or within the pages of a magazine?

The answers to these questions are important
because they tell you if the person you're becoming
is someone you want to be.
Here's another way to look at a goal:
do you want it, or do you just think you should want it?

It's not easy to follow your own direction in life.
But it's more possible than you may think.

Question everything.
Every priority in your life needs to justify why it's there.
If you can't come up with a good reason
that actually comes from YOU, maybe it doesn't belong
. 

"To be nobody but yourself
--in a world which is doing its best, night and day,
to make you everybody else—

means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight;
and never stop fighting."

...................by EE Cummings, poet