1. THE 7 BASIC ETHICS OF LIFE:
SIMPLE SECRETS TO WINNING THE
RESPECT, AFFECTION, ATTENTION
AND ACCEPTANCE FROM “ANY”
BEING.
Life from my perspective is like a jungle where strength alone cannot determine your success
rate or your chances of survival. Attracting the love of majority takes effort, time, and patience.
Guess what? Absorbing and manifesting these respect-and- affection laden reciprocity skills are
not difficult to understand and model. Unlike rocket science, beneath the greatest things in life,
there lays some iota of simplicity. Many people ask why people are the way they are. The simple
truth is people are the way they are because just like every element of existence, we the
“human species” came to be who we are through a structure called FOUNDATION. Foundation
in this context, simply put is the fundamental platform through which our purposes, desires,
complexes, attitudes and drives evolve and transcend. These fundamental platforms come in
form of family values, upbringings, gender role development, societal expectations and cultural
influences. They define our belief systems, self-esteem and response to our immediate
environment. The good news is that humans are naturally good and the proof of this is that we
were born innocent, freely minded, curious and happiness-laden. Then, another question pops
up out of curiosity and it goes like this, “If we all are good beings, why are some people bad,
overbearing, irritating, despicable, annoying, mean, nasty, wicked, cruel….and the list goes on
and on? A frank response to that would be EXPOSURE to the quality of people and events that
hang around us in our daily lives. You may beg to differ from this reason but if you throw your
arguments to the left and swing it to the right, trust me, you would still come back to realize that
exposure , that is, environmental factors accounts for most of how and why we behave the way
we behave. Some people among us are yet to realize that some of those little things we take for
granted could actually count and have their tricks of catching up with us when we least expect,
whether for good or the flip side of it. This leads to another good news, and that is, “no human is
unchangeable”. People may hold their views about us not being perfect but the fact that we
were created in the likeness of our creator has bestowed some degree of perfection on us and
to transcend into this life of perfection, inspiration and balance, we have to permanently borrow
the lifestyle of a new born child who is filled with innocence and willingness to try out new
things. We must, should and can do away with a timeline that is puerile, inhumane, demeaning
and disconnecting and embrace a longevous time of significance, meaningfulness, legacy-laden
and glorification to our creator. This may sound absurd but to experience that life of newness
and progress, we must go back to where it all began and that brings us to our “foundation”,
some of which are:
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2. - When someone gives you a gift, life-saving tips and information, as well as rendering
you help, support, compliment, or assistance. Learn to say, “THANK YOU”. Others are, “I
SINCERELY APPRECIATE”, “I AM GRATEFUL”. The implication of this, simply put,
mean you have an attitude of gratitude.
- When you find yourself in a position of being at fault, constituting a problem, crisis or
conflict. Courtesy demands you to say, ”I AM SORRY”. Other variations are, “MY
SINCERE APOLOGIES”, “PLEASE ACCEPT MY PLEA”. This means that you are wise
enough to have realized how you might have contributed to the problem, even if it is as
low as 1%. Also, it clearly explains that you are remorseful, repentant, conscientious and
responsible.
- When the attitude of someone has a grip on your emotions, mostly positive and for
goodness sake. Get used to saying, “GOD BLESS YOU”. This implies that you
acknowledge the good works of the person and honestly feels the person deserves to be
rewarded in kind by a supreme authority.
- When the attitude of a person triggers an atmosphere of positivity, peace, ecstasy and
happiness. Don’t forget to say, “I LOVE YOU”. Others include, “I ADMIRE YOUR…..”, “I
LIKE YOUR….”. This means affection begets affection. It also means that you have a
charming personality, soft-hearted, aware and well informed about people and things
that surround you. It increases the level of self-esteem, morale and confidence of the
recipient of these compliments.
- When you are in a position to request or demand, in matters related to tangible or
intangible things. Remember to use the word, “PLEASE”. This aids others to perceive
you as humble, down-to-earth and approachable.
- When you approach or are approached by a known or seemingly known person after a
while of not seeing them. Get acquainted by saying, “HOW ARE YOU DOING”. Other
forms of greetings could be, “HELLO, WHAT’S UP WITH YOU?”, “HOW IS LIFE AT
YOUR END?”, “HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?”, “HI, IT’S BEEN A WHILE”. It may sound
cliché and old-fashioned but it shows you are jovial, an altruistic person who cares about
the wellbeing of others and values the presence and absence of people.
- When you are on a road of life with ups and downs, twists and turns, good and terrible
days. Always put on a “SMILE”. Others are, A CHEERFUL HEART, A HONEST
LAUGHTER, A WARM AND POSITIVE APPEARANCE. It simply tells the world that you
are not moved by negative experiences, you are insightful and foresighted about a
fulfilled future, you are strong within and outside, informed, prepared and equipped and
challenges are stepping stones to greater heights for you.
Encounter positive changes in your life and evaluate how much those around you crave and
cherish your presence, as well as when you are M.I.A (Missing-In-Action) when you peruse
through, ponder on and practice these basic ethics every day without season. God bless you
and I hope to dine with you when we meet at the apex.
- Animashaun A. Abidemi
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