What do I believe?

Okay Pete, here it is. I believe (not in order and certainly not limited to):

1. Humans are born mouldable and essentially neutral, however due to our shared humanity, we have or develop intrinsic morality. We are not inherently evil.
   
   
2. 'Everything' doesn't 'happen for a reason,' but if the right environment and need is created by our own desires and actions, things do happen for reasons.
   
   
3. Words have lasting power.
   
   
4. The summum bonum of life is happiness; happiness is God; God is love; love is happiness.
   
   
5. No religion is 100% wrong or 100% right; all contain some form of 'truth' – and these are often the shared elements between them.
   
   
6. Great love and great achievements involve great risk.
   
   
7. Human beings are mammals, however we are at the top of the food chain and are higher cognitive beings, and responsibility for the care of (and destruction of) the earth is ours.
   
   
8. Beauty surrounds us – we only have to look.
   
   
9. Each person is acting and speaking from the expression of their enculturation, upbringing and experience.
   
   
10. Most decisions are either driven by love and/or fear.
    
    
11. Nothing in our lives or in this world is fixed or permanent - the only thing certain is change.
    
    
12. The joy of giving is greater than that of receiving.
    
    
13. Meditation is the path to self-understanding, eventually inner peace, and perhaps enlightenment.
    
    
14. The best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
    
    
15. Death is important to reflect upon, in doing so we may remember that life is not a guarantee and we must not take it for granted.
    
    
16. The state of our mind affects the state of our physical bodies, and the health and vitality of our body affects our mental state – it is all an interconnected system.
    
    
17. Now is all there is.
    
    
18. We can only truly love another when we first love ourselves, otherwise we will simply be seeing in another a reflection and will draw energy from one another rather than mutually give.
    
    
19. Everything in this world is made of atoms; atoms are mostly space and energy; everything is therefore mostly space and energy.
    
    
20. Humans evolved over a long period of time, driven by some force (be it Love, Energy, Gaia, God, Allah, or simply the energy of Nature, all are similar in essence).
    
    
21. We have a duty to our fellow mankind, to help those in need and alleviate suffering to the capacity we are able.
    
    
22. Selfishness is not necessarily 'bad'. However, many selfish actions and attitudes can be hurtful to others, and it as a race with consciousness and the ability to empathize, these can be considered 'bad'.
    
    
23. Sex is good, it is at once sacred and simply a physical act.

24. Everyone loves to feel loved, and to be loved, whether outwardly acknowledged or not.
    
    
25. “Though you travel the world over to find the beautiful, you must carry it within you or you find it not.”
    
    
26. Likewise, though you travel the world over to find happiness, you must discover it within you or you find it not.

***

This was a tough challenge to think and write out. As you may have realized, I was asked to think about 'what I believe'. It's not often I sit down and really think about the precepts and tenets I am constantly acting and speaking from. Doing this has made me realize that so much of what I do is guided by concepts developed from an amalgamation of experiences and influences; I am following these 'rules of life' unconsciously.

I believe Aaron will win Masterchef.

Looking back through these 'beliefs', I also realize that almost all are using universal quantifiers. Is it not hard to write a belief without lumping everyone into the belief? I suppose it's important to keep in mind that all have “I believe” in front of them. If I believe it, can it be contested? It's hard, as we are so programmed out of using “I” in universities! Perhaps it will help if I add one other thing I believe:

I believe everyone's reality - everyone's world - is different. One's truth is not necessarily another's truth.

There. That's better. I guess I also now believe that anyone who has beliefs, which is everyone, should be aware of what they believe and why. A person most certainly doesn't have to be 'spiritual' or follow a religion to have beliefs, and just as I would expect someone who follows a specific doctrine to know exactly what it is that they let dictate their lives and interactions, the rest of us should lead by example and know what we believe.

Knowing this, we are able to have guidelines that will undoubtedly lead us to becoming the person we would like to be. Upon reflection, if my 'beliefs' guide all my actions, then I would be one very pleasant, happy person all the time! So why do I act contrary to what I believe? Now that's the hard question.