“Principle Centered Life…”
Shared by Kristina Smedley
“Principle-Centered Life…”
At 26 days into our 90 Day Immersion, Breanne and I were asked to share our First Principles this week.
The Principles that we consider first, before anything else, to help guide our decisions and actions.
Immediately, there were questions.
Are these our own principles?
Principles of our business?
And what if there are two of us?
What if our two different sets of First Principles don’t align?
Suddenly, Breanne and I were running down a whole new path.
We hadn’t discussed our deeply held principles with each other before. Let alone, determined what they were for our business.
We took some first steps, and we still have work to do on this.
But, now this idea is stuck in my mind.
How many of us actually spend time considering our personal principles.
To write them down.
To share them with others.
To explicitly rely on them when we are in tough situations and need to decide and move forward.
I know I don’t have these ready to roll off my tongue.
I think my head and heart probably have some inclination.
And I could list some off quickly – family first, do for the good of all, care for our earth, I have the ability to create a meaningful life.
But are these truly my First Principles?
And not just what I would like them to be. Or what I think they should be.
I really don’t know.
But there are two things I do know for certain.
First, those who identify and live by their Principles reduce indecision and have more confidence as they navigate life. They know why they are doing what they do, and they know it’s for the right reason for them. This is clear to me.
Ray Dalio, founder of the investment firm Bridgewater and author of “Principles,” writes, “Principles are fundamental truths that serve as the foundation for behavior that gets you what you want out of life.”
Those who spend time thoughtfully considering, reflecting, and articulating their Principles create a foundation from which to work. A foundation for success.
Seeing this more clearly now, I can’t see why anyone would choose not to know and live by their own principles.
Second, spending the time personally to identify my principles and then sharing this experience with another builds deeper relationships. It allows us to see into the core of one another. To really see what matters most to the other, rather than making an assumption based on the actions and behaviors we observe.
I believe completely that unless we engage in dialog, we absolutely can not know another’s values, feelings, or ideas. We would only be making assumptions. And well, you know what they say about that…
So, I’ll be working on my personal principles, and I’ll be sharing with Sennad. And with Breanne. And probably many others.
Like always, we have a choice… to just live life. Letting it be what it may be.
Or, we can experience, reflect, grow, and share with others on the way. We can be impactful. We can live our greatest life.
I choose path #2.
#IntegrallyRelational
#MindfullyEvolving
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