Understanding My Values and Their Impact on My Choices and Actions
Living a life aligned with one's values is not merely a philosophical ideal but a practical guide to making choices that reflect one's authentic self. For me, personal integrity, personal responsibility, and freedom of conscience are the foundation on which my actions are built. These values not only shape my decisions but also guide my interactions with others and my approach to the challenges of everyday life.
Personal Integrity, Reliability, and Authenticity
One of the core values that guide my life is personal integrity. This means being a reliable person of your word, consistently demonstrating what you profess to feel or believe in through your actions, not just your words. This is the essence of practicing what one preaches. My commitment to this value stems from the belief that authenticity is key to building trust and fostering meaningful relationships. Authenticity is not just about being true to oneself; it is about living a life that is true to one's beliefs and principles.
Personal Responsibility and Accountability
Another value that is central to my conduct is personal responsibility. I cannot abide the shirking of duty, blame-shifting, and excuse-making. I believe that taking responsibility for one's actions is not only morally imperative but also essential for personal growth. When someone does not take responsibility for their choices or behavior, they inherently create problems for others. They require others to compensate for their lack of initiative or to clean up their messes when they are too proud or lazy to address them themselves. This behavior is as irresponsible as microwaving food uncovered in a communal microwave and leaving it filthy, a clear metaphor for the harms caused by shirking responsibility.
Freedom and Supremacy of Conscience
A third important value in my personal decision-making process is the supremacy of conscience. Freedom of conscience liberates my decisions from the controls and manipulations of society's rewards and punishments. My conscience guides me towards what is true, right, and loving, and it promotes avoiding every kind of evil and risk of harm to self and others. Over the years, my faith in conscience has turned many mistakes into valuable lessons. Making decisions based on my conscience ensures that they are aligned with my deepest beliefs and ethical principles.
Role of Christian Values
Christian values have been a significant influence on my life, serving as a reminder of what I should be doing instead of what I might want to do. From Paul's letter to the church at Philippi (Philippians 1:27), I draw strength: 'Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.' These values keep me grounded and focused on personal integrity, service to others, and the pursuit of truth.
Truth: The Bedrock of Understanding
The value of truth is paramount to me, for it stands as the only thing I can clearly understand to be sacred. Truth is the foundation of all knowledge and understanding. In living in accordance with truth, I have observed a stark reality: many of our cultural assumptions and understandings are deeply flawed and misleading. The cultural narrative that our society is well-engineered is fundamentally at odds with the realities we face. For example, a tax code that values stolen money over earned money is but one of many perverse incentives that underpin our current systems.
Understanding truth allows me to see simple and straightforward solutions to our most complex challenges. It empowers me to challenge and reform systems and policies that are rooted in misunderstanding or misalignment with fundamental principles. In my personal and professional life, I strive to promote truth and integrity to create a more just and ethical world.