My new Moral Code for 2007:A friend requested that I get to work on my new code, so here it is.
1. Honor Life. I will not take a human life (except in self defense if absolutely necessary). Like the Hopi, I will take only what I need to live from the lives of plants and animals.
2. Practice Gratitude. I will practice gratitude for the lives given for my life and in all things. (I will work toward this goal).
3. Honor the Earth and all living beings. Work to save the earth and world.
4. Give Love. Be as loving as possible. Let love flow through me to touch the lives of others.
5. Be forgiving. Avoid Anger, wrath, hatred.
6. Seek Peace. Avoid war.
7. Be cheerful. “Don’t worry, be happy!” SMILE!
8. Avoid Adultery. I will not have sex with anyone other than my husband Keith, unless he dies or we get divorced. I will honor sex as an expression of love as well as passion. I will avoid inappropriate lust.
9. Refrain from Stealing. I shall not steal unless my life truly depends on it, or the lives of my children or family.
10. Refrain from Lying. I will not make a habit of lying except as part of my creative writing and art when “lying” creates a deeper truth. I not lie in my normal life, except if my life truly depends on it, or the lives of my children or family. I will not “bear false witness against my neighbor.”
11. Refrain from being envious. “I will not covet my neighbor’s donkey.”
12. Be kind and considerate. I will “do unto others as I would have them do unto me,” keeping in mind of course, that not everyone’s needs and desires are the same. I will try to act appropriately. Avoid hurting others whenever reasonable.
13. Be courteous. I will be polite and courteous to everyone.
14. Be honorable. Always do the right thing. Two wrongs never make a right. Refrain from revenge. Chose the right course of action. “What would Jesus, Buddha or Mohammed do?”
15. Honor the Imagination. Be creative and artistic. Write, paint, dance, take pictures. Share.
16. Find/create balance. Balance the needs of others with the needs of the self, balance work and play, sleep and waking, rest and activity, solitude and togetherness. Don’t infringe on the rights of others not allow them to infringe on your rights. Balance empathy with appropriate assertiveness.
17. Avoid Drugs, Alcohol and Cigarettes. Keep the body clean, healthy and safe.
18. Avoid Gluttony. Eat to live, don’t live to eat. Practice appropriate self-restraint.
19. Avoid Greed. Take only what is needed and what is the fair share. Be appropriately charitable in word and deed.
20. Avoid Sloth. Work appropriately. Be appropriately diligent.
21. Be responsible. Pay bills on time, avoid debt except when absolutely necessary and then make every effort to get rid of it appropriately. Be on time.
22. Be Humble. Avoid arrogance and excessive pride.
23. Honor dreams. Pay attention to waking and sleeping dreams.
24. Pay attention. Be attentive. Be awake and aware. Notice. Be appropriately responsive.
25. Honor spirituality. Touch the spiritual daily.
This is my moral code for 2007 (and my life) as I am best able to express it today. However, I must note that while some of these I actually succeed in following, others are goals. And I also would like to point out that they are NOT necessarily in the order of greatest importance or grouped by my success at fulfilling them.
I would like to invite (“tag”) you to write your own moral code and comment on mine. This is a dialogue with myself (and with you, if you would like to join the dialogue). Compare it with the old one I found in my 1968 journal. LOL!
I also realize that having a moral code is not all that popular these days. People like to be "in your face." I'm a little old fashioned in that respect.
later: I thought of a very important addition to my moral code: embrace diversity. I think it is immoral to exclude anyone by race, color, gender, sexual identity, age, intelligence etc. Welcome all; exclude no one. (Exclude only those who wish you and others harm).
later yet: Avoid procrastination (from Deanna--I love it! Not good at it, but like adding it!)
even more later: I was thinking of the old saying that "cleanliness is next to Godliness," and it occurs to me that I ought to add cleanliness and neatness. I bath every day but neatness is a problem for me, more of a goal than a moral code, more of a distant hope or dream than a reality. LOL.
I am also thinking that some of these things are much more important than others and that perhaps they should be divided into some kind of hierarchy. But that woulkd take more thinking than I have time for at the moment. There are the "seven deadly sins," and then there are losts that are a little less deadly. I hope, LOL!
4 comments:
Hooray for you! I'll try and work on mine later today. Pam :-D
This reminds me of a Hienlen book, although I can't remember the title. Have you read it? I forget when it was written, but perhaps before your first moral code written in 1968. I have always menat to write one for myself, but alas, procrastination is a part of my psychological makeup, even if it's against my moral code :) I plan to plunge into writing again in late April, and will add this excellent idea to my list of things to do when I am procrastinating on writing something that I am "supposed" to be writing. :) Thanks for sharing yours.
It's a good one, and a much better than the one I don't succeed to write for me.
It also shows that you still live in the same way as when you wrote the first one. Having some more experience, though.
But you're still the same Mary.
Thanks so much Pam, Deanna and Happy Hpy!
I did read a lot of Heinlein and he may have inspired me, but I don't remember that now and didn't read enough of the journal to see if I'd mentioned it.
If any of you DO do a moral code, please let me know.
Procrastination is a good one.
I have (re)discovered that since I articulated this moral code for myself that it is very difficult to stick to certain parts of it. I get cranky and forget to be kind and courteous when I am tired and I sometimes eat too much (and am "gluttonous!") I am noticing it more since I have just been thinking about it.
Also, I'd like to point out, that this is my own personal moral code and not the standard to which I hold others. That would be a different set.
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