~What I Believe

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 Here's a small portion of my personal list expressing the beliefs I want to pass on:

1.I believe I'm a work in progress and there will always be a gap between who I am and who I want to be.

2.I believe every day brings opportunities to learn and to do something meaningful.

3.I believe the true test of my character is whether I do the right thing even when it might cost more than I want to pay.

4.I believe that no matter how I behave, some people will be mean-spirited, dishonest, irresponsible, and unkind, but if I fight fire with fire, all I'll end up with is ashes.

5.I believe life is full of joys and sorrows and my happiness depends on how well I handle each.

6.I believe pain is inevitable but suffering is optional, and if I can control my attitudes I can control my life.

7.I believe kindness really matters and snide and sarcastic comments and badly-timed criticisms can cause lasting hurt.

8.I believe there's joy in gratitude and freedom in forgiveness, but both require conscientious effort.

9.I believe what is fun and pleasurable is not always good for me and what is good for me is not always fun or pleasurable.

10.I believe no one is happy all the time, but in the end I can be as happy as I'm willing to be.

11.I believe the surest road to happiness is good relationships.


- by Michael Josephson
http://www.charactercounts.org/