What I Believe

An interesting discussion with my best friend and one of her FB friends today prompted this post!

It is not so much WHAT I believe, but how I chose to disseminate that set of beliefs. Is my goal to change others’ minds, by expressing my own beliefs, or is there a narrower/broader focus here? Therefore, I decided I would write, in a disgorging purge, what it is I believe.

“I believe for every drop of rain that falls a flower grows” Oh. Sorry. Wrong train of thought…

I believe that each of us has a purpose in being here. Our job is to find out what that purpose is, and be true to that purpose.

I believe my purpose is to share my love of learning with others

I believe that the ultimate goal in any life should be to enhance the lives of others.

We do this by practicing kindness, paying it forward, acting without bias or prejudice, treating others with love and consideration

I believe that all religions and faiths have the same roots. I believe in One God/Goddess.

The three main religions of humanity share Mohammed based roots. “They are related by a common belief in God and the constant battle between good and evil.”  http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2005/11/12/2733/4500

I believe in Hope.

Hope fuels our days and nights. Inherent in all  humans is the belief that tomorrow, and the future, will be brighter.

I believe in family.

 There is nothing more important than family. They give us roots and wings. No  matter how we get along on a day-to-day basis, we need family to give us strength. It may be a biological family, or it may be the extended family of friendships we develop in our lifetimes.

I believe in enjoyment.    

We need to appreciate and enjoy our lives. They are precious, a gift, and there is no sin in enjoyment.

I believe in learning.

EVERY day is a new opportunity to learn.  We learn about others, ourselves and the world around us.

I believe in a democratic (small d) society, with overtones of socialism (small s)

socialism: a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

democracy: government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.

I believe everyone has a point of view – not everyone can express or explain theirs, though

To encourage dialog, debate, and discussion between those of differing opinions is a GOOD thing. Battle the beliefs, not the persons expressing them.

I believe change is good.

Change is our means of creating a practical, usable system, whether it is our personal lives, or what is going on politically within our country.

I believe hatred, prejudice and cruelty to others has no place in an enlightened society

AND I believe that a lack of education is the root of all of these. Learning allows expression, openness, honesty and understanding.

I believe in simplicity, sustainability and self-control.    

We need enough to be comfortable, and enjoy life.  No more, no less. We should encourage and help others reach this status as well.

                Simplicity: absence of luxury, pretentiousness, ornament

 Sustainability: the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance.

Self-control:  the ability to exercise restraint or control over one’s feelings, emotions, reactions.

I believe doing good is much, much better than having done well (in economic terms) Or, in other words, having a good life means much more than money.

It should be the natural goal of every person – to create a world, a planet, in which each person works at doing good for all.

Lastly, I believe in words.

Words are powerful. Nevertheless, their basic purpose is to express meaning, and in doing so, we define our purpose, our values, our beliefs and ourselves.

My challenge to you – create your own list of what you believe. Print it out. Believe in it, practice it, change it, enjoy it, and learn from it!