Rules for Living Well: Stephen Hawking’s Example

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. (1 John 5:4)

Life is rarely easy and is often difficult. For those with unique challenges, it becomes incredibly burdensome. Those with the most difficult lives often learn to endure, adapt, and even thrive. Stephen Hawking is a prime example of overcoming adversity and tackling life with courage and determination. I am a huge “Big Bang Theory” television fan, and I couldn’t get over how they teased Stephen Hawking on the show. It was so rough I wondered if Hawking was hurt by it. Then, Hawking became a regular guest on the show, expressing his form of humor within a body that should not have been able to express itself.

The brilliant academic, at age 21, was diagnosed, according to Wikipedia, with “an early-onset slow-progressing form of motor neuron disease that gradually, over decades, paralyzed him.” Hawking lost the ability to speak in time, except for a “speech-generating device.” Yet, with this debilitating disease, he remained focused on living meaningfully. He was a professor at three of the finest Universities in the world. He received so many awards it would take over a page to print them out. Hawking redefined what a fulfilling life means.

How did he do it? In “Stephen Hawking’s Formula For A Happy Life,” Andy Murphy attempts to share how Hawking kept his life happy and whole. “Rule #1. Find the funny side of life.” Hawking regularly stated, “Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.” Never lose your humor, or life will become joyless. “Rule #2. Never take love for granted.” Hawking warns, “If you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.” “Rule #3. Remember to look up at the stars.” While Hawking intended for us to contemplate the vastness of the universe, for people of faith, we can consider God’s power in creation and the intimacy of divine love.

“Rule #4. Have no expectations.” Hawking admits, “Suffering only comes when I expect things to be a certain way or want people to act in a particular manner.” As a believer in God, I would rephrase Hawking by saying, “Suffering only comes when I put my way ahead of what God has in mind for my life.” Finally, Hawking’s “Rule #5. Never give up on work.” I would say instead, “Never give up on your God-given call.” Our bodies have treated us better than Hawking’s for almost all of us. Yet too often, we do not live with the intention and trust Hawking shared. Pray for God to give you a Hawking-like determination to follow the rules necessary to avoid fatalism and face challenges with hope and anticipation.