May I never refuse to embrace truth as it is, and not dismiss it because it is not how I want it to be.
May I never teach a principle out of convenience. May I learn to appreciate the labour that love really is, for it is only those who truly love who can appreciate the nature of its labour.
May my loyalty, passion, and commitment remain as such to only the highest of principles. May I never be afraid to abandon what I believe now for something greater. May I never be so foolish to mistake something lesser as something greater, and may I never be so foolish as to pass up something greater when it presents itself to me.
May I be free from hypocrisy, double standards, baseless accusations, movement void of right direction, and anything that would self-elevate me above my fellows. I am a human being, and I judge not lest I stand in greater sin.
May I attack ideas, not individuals; may I criticize behaviours and choices, not people.
May I have enough patience to love myself, and enough wisdom to understand that love for others cannot come until I have that good sense – no matter how hard I try.
May I never fail to recognize that sometimes the best way to love someone can be the hardest thing I can do. If loving someone is easy, then I must check myself to see if I truly love.
May I understand that to truly love is not indicated by a passing infatuation, a harmonious chemistry, or a pleasant demeanor: if I truly love I will be truly committed to the end.
May I be so purified that I recognize truth the instant I am introduced to it.
May I understand that some of my greatest lessons in life have come from my greatest failings. May I never forsake those lessons for self-deprecation. Additionally, may I recognize that some lessons need never be learned by making great mistakes, but can often be learned through careful study of the mistakes of others. Once I have learned to study the mistakes of others, may it not make me fearful of the potential of making further mistakes. May I understand that I will make mistakes in learning this principle, and may I be patient with myself in the process. May learning this patience act as a template in learning all other good and true principles.
May I never sacrifice practical and sensible solutions solely because of faith in some ephemeral idea; however, may the practical and sensible solutions never cause me to sacrifice my integrity.
May I find the strength – no matter how deep I have to dig – to overcome all things that would stand in my way of becoming the best me.
May I always respect those who have come before me and have pioneered the paths I now walk, and may I never lose sight of the paths necessary to pioneer for tomorrow’s generation. May I teach them to respect their elders by respecting mine.
May I recognize discipline as one of the greatest of virtues, and may I never see it as a burden.
May I recognize that perspective governs all areas of understanding; may I understand that I govern my perspective.
May I appreciate the different ages of the past but not long for them; may I cherish the age that time has deemed appropriate for my schooling.
May I recognize that whatever my religion, whatever my faith, nothing is as great as love and kindness to a fellow creature. May I quickly and freely abandon any doctrine or dogma which teaches otherwise.
May I never fear ideas that challenge me or my current paradigm. May the search for truth never be halted because it might remove me from a comfortable or familiar paradigm.
May I understand that liberal freedoms and conservative restrictions often lead to the same places: if abused they bring slavery; if applied correctly they create harmony and happiness.
May I never allow my speech to venture without my footsteps.
May I never be so powerful that I would think myself more important than I really am. Power truly corrupts in the absence of the most vigilant self-examination – sometimes even in the midst of it. It is sheer arrogance on my part to think I could ever be above such corruption when wearing a mantle of power and authority. May I place those whom I trust the most the closest to me, and may they never be afraid to speak their minds. May I trust their counsel the most when I am quickest to dismiss it; however, may this principle never blind me to the greed and ambition of others who would never hesitate to betray to get gain. Above all else may I recognize that any position of power and authority is really only an opportunity to serve.
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