To live coherently is to follow a set of values that take the form of habits. Self-imposed constraints are necessary to transform who we are. There is no personal progress if negligence and complacency prevail over the rigor manifested by discipline.
An idea is a hard core, it needs proof to exist. It needs to be embodied in our actions. Professing is risky because we expose ourselves to the pitfalls of hypocrisy.
Self-imposed silence can be liberating: it relieves us from the hubbub of speech that creates confusion in us. It also has the advantage of allowing us to go inside ourselves and put our values into perspective with respect to our actions. Stopping talking can be a source of serenity as well as a source of clarity in our lives. Without concrete actions, our ideas have little value.
We measure the coherence of our person above all by our actions.
Doubting, struggling and meditating are part of the transformation process. Without questioning the adequacy between our values and what we do, we cannot stay on the rails we had defined at the beginning.
We are like a ship’s captain who moves forward and controls the position so as not to deviate from his course.
We don’t need to see an iceberg to know that we are going the wrong way.
It is the same for our choices, we do not have to wait for a serious crisis to correct our actions.
The criticisms or reproaches that we receive must be welcomed with gratitude. It’s like having alerts on your radar that allow you to move. You need to pay attention to them even if there are false alerts that may occur.
Your values are your roadmap. If they are clear, you are likely to arrive at your destination. The relationship with others is also an element to take into account, otherwise you risk getting lost. We must be able to recognize our mistakes and adjust our position unless we have been sailing in the wrong direction for too long without paying attention to the warnings sent to us by our friends or entourage.
A drifting boat is first and foremost its own fault. Even if the sea is dangerous, in the end the captain remains responsible for the fate of his crew.
With an inflexible will to reach the destination and the adaptability in front of the hazards, one can be the incarnation of its values, still it is necessary to know to define them clearly.
