To me, there is only one true value that I believe in. All my actions, all my thoughts and all my results are based on this single value. This value is Love.
Love as in the eternal, universal power that guides every human being. Love as the most powerful emotion we experience, live and share. Love as the most fundamental connector of mankind.
Let me elaborate a little.
Love is the highest value of mankind. It consists of a constant wish of being better. And a constant wish of making others better too. A constant wish of a world where all there is, is love, happiness and mutual understanding. This love is based on two vital parts: Respect. And Trust.
Respect
Respect to me means that no matter your religion, belief, opinion or values, I will respect you for what you are. I may not like you. I may not agree with you. I may even hate what you stand for. But I will give you the respect you deserve. And there is the keyword of respect. You have to deserve it.
To deserve respect, you have to stand up for your self, your belief and your values. You must be in charge of your own life, and be committed to living it. If you waste your life in front of the television, or computer, and do not invest in your own happiness and success, you will not deserve respect for your actions. You will only be respected as a person, as someone with potential, which you are wasting. If you want my full respect, you need to be in charge of your actions, dreams and life. Live life to the fullest. As you live today, not yesterday, and not tomorrow.
Trust
No man can interact with another without some level of trust. The more we trust each other, the more we are willing to share and enjoy. And the more we share, the better we get to know each other, the more fun we have, and the better results we create.
Trust is earned just like respect. It takes time and effort to build trust, especially when from different cultures. To earn that trust, I will share my life with you. I will share my values, actions and information. Sometimes I will have to take a risk – sharing information with you without knowing if you are trustworthy. Most of those cases, by showing trust in you, you will take good care of what I share with you, and show me that I was right about trusting you.
If on the other hand, you fail these increasing levels of trust, you will jump down the ladder again, and suddenly end up in a situation where I do not trust you, and you do not trust me.
To gain your trust, I need to show my trust in you. Thus I will share with you, so you realize I take interest in you, and that I trust you. Slowly you will start trusting me too, and share your own values, history, dreams and information. This is how friendship grows, and where mutual love is growing too, as a consequence of the friendship.
Communication
To glue trust and respect together, communication is key. Not only do we need to share words, we also need to share time and space. We need to share those intimate moments where just a quick look can make us burst out in laugh, and those moments where tears are filling our eyes.
Communication today is really easy across borders, using electronic communication like phones, SMS, chatting and social media. And these tools enable friendship, trust and love to grow much easier, faster and more secure than without. Yet communication needs to be physical too in order to reach the highest level of trust and respect, the highest level of love.
Our body sends and reads all sorts of tiny signals. From where we keep our eyes in a conversation, to the tone of voice. From the chuckle, to the tiniest of smiles. From how we hold our body, arms and legs, to how we reply. These signals and many more are subtle at best, they are dependent on the culture one comes from, and they are a vital part of the full message one is communicating.
Thus, to gain full love, respect and trust, communication is vital.
I believe in Love. Love is based on respect and on trust. And communication is the glue that makes it possible.
* As posted on my blog: http://www.bebetter.no/node/269
* Picture from http://learnthis.ca/2008/08/determining-and-sharing-your-core-values/
