The principles I live by have been with me since birth. They have been inherent to my being from the beginning. Principles are what make me the kind of person I am, have always been, and always will be.
My morals developed later, as I began instinctively questioning right from wrong. At times, I responded to moral standards imposed by outside influences with immoral actions, as a way to challenge the beliefs of people I felt couldn’t be trusted. As I grew older, I eventually found a way to trust people who were once untrustworthy themselves. I came to trust the influence I was having on others and, in doing so, became more independent, intuitive, and influential. I began to align more closely with my principles as I made better decisions in daily life. I was getting closer to the truth.
My pursuit of truth is the same truth I’ve always known—my principles. I can reach that truth by allowing my morals to free me from the judgments of those unwilling to return to their own principles. Truth can be set free if it is captured in pursuit and transformed into values—values that are born from the experience of living by morals rooted in foundational principles.
My values are a work in progress that will, in time, reflect the effort I’ve put into being morally just.
Though my morals have evolved with me, my sound principles ensure that my values will ultimately come full circle to what is inherently good.
Principles are the blueprint of your soul. Morals are the story of your life. Values are the reward for having both.
Francis Erich McElroy 