If you missed last week's "Words to Live By" piece, you can find the "Running Strong" article here. Last week's piece "Words to Live By," and each subsequent weekly installment will go on how to live by those words.

My house in Boulder has two rules: don't be a b***h, and treat yo' self. Originally, we made these the house rules for food. Some of us wouldn't eat all the food we would cook, and some would meticulously stick to challenging diets, making it tough to eat together. We invented these rules because every once in awhile it's good to treat yourself, and when you do, don't be a b***h and go all in. Because of this, we enjoy a weekly breakfast filled with all sorts of sugars and carbs on Sundays, and spend the time reconnecting and relating stories of the week to one another.

If I told you that these two simple rules should be applied to all of life, would you follow them?

"Treat yo' self," Tom Haverford from "Parks and Recreation' exclaims. His coworker, Donna Meagle responds with all the things they treat themselves with. Whether it be clothing, leather goods, fragrances, mimosas, or massages like in the show -- or something a little more valuable.

I offer, treat yourself to time. Treat yourself to time in the company of others. This is the most important thing you will ever do, and continue to do in your life. Firstly, science tells us that our environment affects us more than we think. If you agree with the findings of the various studies, then you'd want to come out on the other side the best version of yourself, correct? Well, unfortunately, this isn't a hit-or-miss task. If you want to improve how your environment treats you, it comes as a mix of good and bad.

For those of you in statistical reasoning, you should be thinking about the Law of Large Numbers. For those of you not comfortable in a statistics environment, this law explains that when you run an experiment a large number of times, the outcome is as expected. For example, if you flip a coin 1,000,000 times, it's expected 50 percent will be heads and the other tails. Doing so just 10 times might make the results 3:7 or something not 1:1. So, let's put this to use in our lives.

If you want to increase the positive outcomes received from interfacing with another, you're going to have to increase the amount of times you see people, drastically. Just doing so a few times will probably incur a change in one direction. As where interfacing with people for a long time over many days, by the Law of Large Numbers, give you net-positive returns.

The first house rule holds true. Treat yourself to time with others frequently, and be spectacular in the moment. Be zealous. What about the other rule? Don't be a b***h follows exactly in line with the first rule. Just as if you're treating yourself to food and should go "all in," treating yourself to the time of others is one in the same. If you are given an opportunity for an escapade, adventure, or memorable moment, don't pass it up. Ever.

Here's how it looks. Opportunities I missed out on my freshman year: rushing, spring break with friends, getting involved, knowing my teachers, keeping alive some friendships. Opportunities I didn't miss: midterms, class, being boring.

Lessons learned, opportunities I received this year: driving across the country with my best friend for summer, traveling to Vegas to play rugby, spending spring break skiing with friends, meeting app developers, designing wearable tech, and now writing for the Odyssey. Opportunities I missed this year: class, some midterms (had to make them up), saving money, not making enough memories or friends.

Use my house rules, or create your own. Do something. Make your foundation for a more vibrant life, you deserve it. As always, Treat yo' self.