| A personal code of honor is comprised of the | | | | they move forward. They won't trust |
| religious and ethnic traditions you were taught by | | | | themselves. When that happens, everything they |
| your family as a child. It also includes the rituals | | | | do, and every relationship they build, will feel as if |
| you performed as a family. As an example, | | | | it won't last, and they will be unsure of the |
| expressing your gratitude for the food you ate, | | | | strength of it - it will feel fragile and perhaps |
| and your evening prayers. In addition, they can be | | | | meaningless. This happens because this is how |
| the beliefs patterns subscribed to by your family | | | | they feel about themselves. When enough people |
| that you have carried forward as an adult. A | | | | live from this truth, it begins to permeate society |
| couple of mine are being a truth-teller, and ethical | | | | as a whole. An example of this would be the |
| in my relationships with people, whether they are | | | | sense of being a victim, as opposed to being |
| personal relationships or business relationships. | | | | accountable for your life. |
| Love and compassion are also very strong for | | | | A personal code of honor in behavior, when |
| me, in my personal life and in my business life. | | | | positive, creates a strong sense of self-esteem, |
| Another personal code is being reliable and | | | | and the ability to live life with purpose and |
| dependable - which drives my children crazy (I | | | | creative inspiration. It provides the foundation with |
| hate being late to appointments or events), but | | | | which we create a life we love. |
| gives them solace, as well. | | | | The familial code of honor can be a wonderful |
| Another way to look at this is that your personal | | | | thing, but can also become toxic to us as adults |
| code of honor represents your values and the | | | | when we blindly follow what our parents and |
| priorities you have in life. | | | | families have taught us without conscious thought |
| Honor gives you strength, and teaches you the | | | | as to whether we might be compromised by |
| importance of keeping your word and living in | | | | doing so. For instance, what a family teaches it |
| integrity. When you are living in integrity, you are | | | | members about marriage or behavior within |
| whole. You are living from the "who" of you; the | | | | marriage when they do not walk their talk. The |
| very essence of you. | | | | good news is that while "we are what our parents |
| It is most critical that a sense of honor be taught | | | | made us", it is our responsibility and appropriate |
| to our children, because without it they are not | | | | for us to move beyond that if it no longer serves |
| able to create stable lives as an adult. They will | | | | us well. |
| wander throughout their lives, never really | | | | Do you have a personal code of honor? What is |
| knowing who they are, or what they should do as | | | | it? Does it serve you well? |
