1. Work the mistakes into the bigger picture.
2. Always wear gloves at a crime scene.*
3. Double check your facts. Not everything you hear is truth.*
4. Make-up is for special occasions only.
5. Don’t waste the good.
6. Never apologize.*
7. If you’re going to lie, be specific.*
8. Always carry a needle & thread.
9. Always carry a knife.*
10. Always carry a working flashlight.
11. When a job is done, walk away.*
12. Never date a coworker.*
13. “Figuratively speaking” is often more accurate than “literally”.
14. If all you want is a hug – ask.
15. Always work as a team.*
16. Always be proud of the skin you’re in.
17. Never date someone when you have feelings for someone else.
18. Observe minutiae.
19. Never assume a body is dead.
20. Let the police do their jobs, and trust them to do it right.
21. Everyone is human.
22. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
23. Background checks are essential.
24. Keep the journals.
25. Music is important.
26. Stick by old friends, whatever their infirmities.
27. There is such a thing as too intelligent and too logical.
28. Always check which way the blade is facing.
29. Try to bake your own if you want sweets.
30. Always have back-up on a blind date.
31. Never accept technology from a boyfriend.
32. Recognize when it is time to move on, move away, or walk away. It is always an option.
33. Drink menu before food menu.
34. Never turn away an opportunity to make new friends.
35. Safety first.
36. Hair, teeth, shoes. Wallet, keys, mobile.
37. No one is worth a compromise of your own integrity.
38. All drama must remain on the stage.
39. Family is important, and always supports one another.
40. Not all families are brought together by blood.
41. Don’t let a competitive nature incur you to compromise your integrity.
42. Never accept an apology from someone who just sucker-punched you.*
45. Clean up the mess you make and never leave behind loose ends.*
*Originally attributed to Gibbs’ rules on NCIS.