Follow Your Laws
from Tero's Time Management Through Goal Setting participant manual
"When you know what your values are, making decisions becomes easier."
-Glenn Van Ekeren
Not only must you know your values, you must be true to them. It is important to select your top values and to rank them in order so that when two or more values are in conflict, you know which one is your driving value above all others.
Sometimes it helps to think about how someone you admire might handle a situation. The best way to determine what another person's values are is to observe how they live their life. That's how we know what your values are. We can tell what you value by how you act in different situations.
Consider your response in these scenarios. What does your response say about your values?
Your colleague tosses a soft drink cup on the ground in the park. You ask them why they did that and they respond, "they pay people to clean up litter, I'm just helping to make sure they have a job". What do you do?
A co-worker shows up at work with a black eye. You suspect a spouse is being physically abusive. The co-worker insists that they got the black eye playing softball. What do you do? What if this is the third time something similar has happened. What do you do?
At a house party, someone you don't know very well gets into a big verbal fight with his/her spouse. They storm off and you know they have had several drinks and that they intend to drive. Others say, "don't worry about it". What do you do?
You're in a rush and the clerk at the store is especially slow today. You are frustrated. The clerk gives you too much change for your purchase. What do you do? What if the amount the clerk gave you in error was a $10 bill instead of a $1 bill. What if the clerk is the son/daughter of one of your friends and he/she is new in the job.
Your manager lies to a customer to cover up an oversight. What do you do?
The house is on fire. You are alone with your 4 children. You get 3 safely out of the burning house. You want to go in to get the 4th child but will most certainly perish in your attempt. Should you go in to try to save the 4th child and risk leaving the other 3 without a mother/father?
Does an evil means ever justify a good end?
Is it ever all right to take a human life?
Your values are the code by which you live. If you live by a code of rules or ethics (internal) you don't need external rules. You don't steal because you don't steal. Not because of the possibility of getting caught. You don't cheat because you don't cheat. Not because of the possibility of getting caught.
Unless you are true to your values, you cannot hope to succeed in your major life goals. Many people live by situational ethics, which are so flexible that they can be contorted to serve any situation that furthers their immediate interests. You must adhere to your values so closely that you live by them under any circumstances, whether or not you see any immediate personal gain.
Being true to your own laws builds confidence, strong character and self-respect. It strengthens your relationship with yourself and allows you to act more intentionally because your motives are always clear.
It attracts worthwhile people into your life and discourages those with poor ethics and values.
It inspires you to reach your goals.
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