A Higher Standard

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I believe that in this day and age, especially when we are walking a spiritual path, we should hold ourselves to a higher standard. Even while most of us are law-abiding, productive citizens ~ there still seems to be room for improvement, ways in which we can become even better individuals.

Let me ask you some questions...

Are you an honest person?
If you answer that with ‘yes’, does that mean that you don’t tell lies? Not even little white lies? Or does that mean that you are always so honest and straightforward that there is no room for diplomacy? Does that mean that you are, apart from being honest to others, also honest to yourself? All the time?

Are you trustworthy?
Again, if you answer ‘yes’, does that mean that you always say what’s up, without resorting to manipulation (on occasion)? Does that mean that you really never gossip? That the things told in confidence are really safe with you? And do you trust yourself enough to know that what ever comes up in your life, you will be able to handle it?

Are you peaceful?
If you say ‘yes’ again, does that mean that you, whenever you get angry, you immediately handle whatever made you angry, without holding onto the anger ~ to be able to restore the peace as quickly as possible? Do you find peace within yourself? Do you spread peace to others?

Three simple questions that are very easy to answer with ‘yes’. And yet it is so easy to then come up with the excuse that ‘everybody tells a little white lie, every once in a while’. Or ‘but I only told my best friend...’. And even ‘I am really angry, but they had it coming!’

And what about those three questions from a very personal, even inner perspective?

For me, in all reality, I probably should answer these questions with: ‘I am mostly honest, I am fairly trustworthy, and I try to be peaceful.’
And I know, that if I measure myself to a higher standard in regarding these three things, I almost certainly would become a more spiritual person. Learn my lessons with more grace. Complain less and be more positive. Not necessarily because the world around me changes, but because my perspectives change to a more inner, spiritual world.

Living to a higher standard gives us the opportunity to find the things we want in life, the things we often look for outside of us, inside of ourselves. And while it may take a while to get the hang of it, the better we get at it, the easier it becomes to accept ourselves, to see ourselves as good, honorable people on a spiritual path.
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