Trustworthy and Excellent

[JWebb38222]

I downloaded Action Outline after reading some of Steve's blogs. I've been developing my philosophy with it, making adjustments as I discover new ideas and things about myself.

Some of the blogs I found the most useful on this was the one about finding your purpose in 20 minutes, using Action Outline, and the blogs about light and darkworkers. I've been on both sides of that arguement. I think we're all part a systems of systems. It is combinations of light and dark when it comes to why and how it works. The systems will hurt you if you are too much of either one.

For a darkworker, the system may bring about your death or imprisonment or, at the very least, disatisfacton.

For a lightworker, the system will take advantage of you and the darkworkers will gain an advantage while you're doing good. For instance, if you decide to buy all American, you will probably spend a couple grand more a year on goods and services. That's dipping into your kids' college funds, your retirement contributions, etc.

You can go out of your way to be good to the environment but, until the system is changed to make it advantagous (profitable) to be good the environment, most people simple won't make the responsible decisions. Your recycyling will mitigate the problem while others do nothing (effectively collecting the spoils of your effort). The only thing that would make a difference is to vote and change policy and regulations thereby changing the system (sorry 'bout the tangent).

It took many revisions over the past couple of months but I've come up with a simple mantra that I use as a guideline for making in-the-moment decision. It is "Be trustworthy and excellent." If it doesn't contribute or detracts from this guideline, I don't do it.

After reading Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything, I've learned that trust is one of the most valuable things that a person has, probably the most valuable thing because we all need people. Before reading that book, I had no idea that there were so many layers to what makes a person or company trustworthy and how much high trust can make things more efficient, easier, and more profitable.

Anyway, what are some simple guidlines that you have come up with?

[Sami]

Being trustworthy and having integrity are big ones for me. I also use the guideline of treating others how I'd like to be treated. As well as people, "others" includes the planet and animals.

[ns123]

If some one is trustworthy, I expect them to be a person of their word. Meaning, if they say it, the action follows that supports what their mouths say.

Even if they say, I will most likely not pay back the money you loaned me. To me, that makes them more trustworthy to me than to ask for a loan, say that they will pay it back, and then not do it.

To earn my trust, it doesn't really matter what you say, it just matters that what you say is consistent with your actions.

And about your saving the environment tangent: everyone has their priorities. I would trust some one who doesn't recycle just as much as some one who doesn't recycle.