PRINCIPLES & RULES

"I didn't break any rules!"
Is a defence of the morally bankrupt.

To obey a rule is a no-brainer;
Even vegetables can be trained.
You don't even have to acknowledge a rule's intent;
You only have to do what it says.
To live by a principle, however, is an entirely different matter.
It takes character, and some level of integrity.
You have to be upfront about a value you hold.
You have to think for yourself.
You're required to engage with the moment,
Take a deliberate stand (as distinct from a position)
And hold yourself accountable -- first and foremost --
To yourself.

A rule is merely an outward guide
Of what is socially expected;
A Principle is an inner expression of who and what you've decided to be.
It's personal;
In fact, it couldn't get any more personal.
And when you violate a principle,
You violate your self.
When you break a rule it may affect how other people think of you.
When you break a principle, it affects who you are
And what you think of you.
If you think that doesn't matter right now.....
Wait. And become aware.
You have to live with the consequences of what you're making of yourself,
And those consequences are not optional.
No matter how far and wide you travel,
Premium Business or Cattle Class,
You still have to take you, and your consequences, with you.

You see, God does have a wicked sense of just-is.