Principled Living (part 1)
"Certainly, those who have belief and manifest that belief in action are the best of creation"
(Qur'an 98:7)
Principles, Values and Integrity
Principles are the moral values we use to choose our actions.
Values are standards we believe in and these shape our choices affecting our behavior, our relationships and our sense of who we are.
- Values reflect our ideals;
Principles inform our actions. - Values reveal who wish to be;
Principles determine how we actually are.
Living life in harmony with our values mean living our lives with Integrity. When we align our principles to our values, when we align our actions to our ideals, when we match our words with our character, we are then truly principled; we become people with integrity. Integrity is thus displayed when our words match our actions and our actions match our beliefs.
Principles, not Expediency
Though most of us believe that we are principled, many do not live principled lives. We tend to misconstrue holding certain values in our heart and mind as implying that we are principled, though we unfortunately do not translate these to action in our day-to-day lives. Agreeing to issues (equality, justice for all, caring for others ...) is not the same as living by the principles associated with them.
Agreeing with a principle is not half as significant as implementing it in practice; just as living up to principles is far more difficult than proclaiming them. In fact, living up to principles is more sacred than fighting for them.
Thought of the Day
Expediency is temporary, but principles are forever;
Be flexible in strategy, but never compromise on principle.