What’s your number one rule?

Or, perhaps said differently, what’s your number one value?

For example, most medical school graduates commit to an oath of ‘do no harm.’ Essentially promising to use their judgment to do what’s best for their patients.

I understand that physicians commit to this oath in a professional capacity, but what if you had to commit to your own personal oath? An oath, value, or rule that you had to always abide by.

What would be your oath?

Now I get that life is complicated, and it might be difficult or, in some cases, almost impossible to abide by or commit to one rule or oath, but what if you could get close? What if it was your fallback position?

Let’s use the example of a quote by Dalai Lama. He says, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”

Is it always possible?

I don’t know. I guess it depends on how self-actualized you are or your level of self-control. But even if it’s not always possible, how would life look if it were mostly possible?

Being kind is just one example of a personal commitment or oath. But there are many you could choose from. You could commit to telling no lies, always be helpful, or you could even choose to do no harm.

Committing to an oath or rule will not make you a perfect human being. No one is perfect, and even the Dalai Lama has been known to get angry occasionally. No, committing to a rule is about bringing you back; it’s about centering and reminding yourself of the person you want to be.

So, put some thought into the kind of person you want to be and commit to your own personal oath. Do this so when life or people begin to test you, and you’re not sure how to respond, you can always fall back on your number one rule.

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