“Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving.”
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| Integrity |
It was a beautiful let down
When you found me here
Yeah for once in a rare blue moon I see everything clear
I'll be a beautiful let down
That's what I'll forever be
Switchfoot
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| Finding the Beauty |
"There is no satisfaction that can compare with looking back across the years and finding you've grown in self-control, judgment, generosity, and unselfishness."
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| Self Reflection |
“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.”
― Jack Kerouac
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| Live Passionately |
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."
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| Love |
You wanna know all the secrets?
Well it's really a lot more simple then one would think,
so that this is on the record and will live on after me.
But really its amazing how living by the five pillars,
of my own creation,
has ultimately changed me...
has shaped the events in my life...
has created opportunities and taught lessons.
So here they are,
1.integrity
2. finding the beauty
3. self-reflection
4. passionate living
5. love
My whole life philosophy laid out in a list.
Integrity
This encompasses honesty,
be honest with yourself firstly, secondly-be honest with others.
Have a tactful honesty where you speak your mind,
but show empathy and compassion to others.
Let the way you live, your actions, be a mirror of how you feel and think.
Don't pass judgement, and if you do, realize that judgement will also be passed on you.
Serve others with the same respect and dignity that you treat yourself.
Follow through with things you commit to, be a reliable person.
People will value you for having integrity,
but more important you will value yourself.
Be consistent with what you say and do,
take the high road, be the bigger person.
When you make mistakes, and you will make mistakes, own up to them.
Be the one who is slowest to anger,
be one that listens when spoken too.
Lead by example and action, not by preaching words.
This is integrity.
Find the Beauty
This is the less obvious pillar, but as essential as all the others.
It will lead to the greatest happiness,
will keep your perspective in tact,
will keep your personality humble,
will keep you seeing a glass half full.
Find the beauty...in everything.
Find beauty in the natural world,
from the smallest most obvious detail to the brightest most dazzling event.
The world we live in is beautiful, and we should recognize it's beauty.
Find beauty in people.
Find the beauty in strangers,
find the beauty in simple interactions,
find beauty in the hard stuff...
it's always there -sometimes you just have to choose to see it.
And once you find the beauty in person, place,thing, event, or whatever-
make sure you appreciate it.
Because that is our right as human beings with functioning brains.
To be able to find beauty in the sounds of music,
the quieter moments,
the way the sunset looks,
the smile on their faces...
and appreciate it,
because this is important.
Find the Beauty.
Self Reflection
I'm a huge believer in better version of self.
There is always something you can improve on-big or small.
Find ways to create a better version of self.
Keep learning-never be satisfied with "what is"
Work on being a better spouse, sibling, friend, co-worker, whatever...
Work on finding new opportunities to challenge yourself...
work on learning new hobbies that bring life experience...
set goals,
push yourself.
You'll find such a strong sense of self-confidence being able to achieve something you didn't know you could.
It's good live in a way that keeps you working at improvement,
you will never know how to be a better version of self if you do not stop and think about it.
Think about all the time you spend thinking of other things and other people,
don't you think you deserve to pay some of that attention to yourself?
You'll find that maybe you don't know yourself as well as you think,
because chances are you're not listening to your inner voice.
So by taking the time to listen to yourself,
learn about yourself,
you'll understand how to create the better version of self.
You'll surprise yourself in amazing ways,
and keep from regrets and disappointments.
Be patient though, these things take time.
Passionate Living
Ahhhh the second most important pillar-
that is really built up of the other three: integrity, beauty, better version of self.
Live passionately,
don't fall into the traps of complacency ,
don't let society make your decisions for you,
don't settle.
Be passionate about what you are doing,
whether your are happy or not.
Happiness is different then passion.
Passion is the energy and self-induced attitude,
happiness is a result, a feeling.
Be brave, take those risks that make the better version of self.
Be patient, slow down enough to see the beauty.
Lead by example, live in a way that shows integrity.
Often times we are afraid to stand out, do things differently then others-
but don't live with fear.
Live with passion.
Be passionate even when you make mistakes,
be passionate even when you are afraid,
be passionate even when everyone else is doing something different.
Once you gain that better understanding of self,
you will see there is nothing to be afraid of.
Life is a learning process,
we cant learn if we don't take the risks involved.
You will miss out on so many adventures if you live without passion.
And believe me-you don't want to miss out.
The adventures are what makes life so much fun.
And finally...
Love.
I understand some aspects of love,
and some aspects of love I don't understand,
and maybe I never will,
but I'm going to try.
Because you cannot live with integrity, find beauty, love yourself, and live passionately if you ignore love.
Love can be expressed in so many ways,
really there is no way to live without love in your life.
Love yourself, love others, love your surrounding.
Fight your hardest to keep love once you find it,
fight your hardest to show others love when you have the chance.
You may get it back you may not,
but that is the whole point-love is not a give and take .
Rather love is just give.
It's selfless and pure and perfect.
So love hard ,
no matter what.
I told you it was simple...