People will perceive your character by how you walk your talk. Many people who preach from the podium in various meetings do not carry conviction since those who hear the speech know that the person does not follow an iota of what he or she is preaching.
Our lives are to be used and thus to be lived as fully as possible, and truly it seems that we are never as alive as when we concern ourselves with other people. That is why an ethical behaviour is needed in whatever we do. If we lead a life where we ourselves feel ashamed one day about the way we lived with hatred, deceit and other dirty stuff we carried within ourselves our end will not be peaceful.
Regardless of what is going on around you, make the best of what is within your power, and take the rest as it occurs. You will find that what happens around you will not affect you since within yourself you have decided to be ethical and reflect that with sincerity.
Rotary believes very much in high ethical standards and all our actions are centered around the 4 Way Test. This 4 Way Test, given to us by Rotarian Herbert J Taylor in 1932 still guides our organisation and the 1.2 million members in what they think, say and do.
There are many people who choose to live in any way which suits them and the occasion. There are some people who choose the way in which they wish to live and adhere by that in any circumstance. Such people may encounter many defeats, but they are never defeated. They know who they are and what they can raise from. Their mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive and to do so with ethics in the way they handle every day. Every person who joins Rotary is inducted into this philosophy and if the organisation has been doing good in this world for over 113 years, it is because of our unshakable faith in ethics and high value.
It was this philosophy which made Rotarian Herbert J Taylor to frame the 4 Way Test in 1932. Every Rotarian knows the 4 Way Test. People understand that the test is important to maintain harmony and peace within themselves and in the community. If you lead a life without following the 4 Way Test, it will become like a tree without blossom and fruit. My advice to Rotarians is that they should practice this way of living in whatever they do
No man is an island. We are all walking each other home. The 4 Way Test is probably the best guide to take you along the long path which is from your head to your heart. Following the test is like planting a garden- you believe in tomorrow. The 4 Way Test makes you a complete person, good in all aspects. Remember, no person was ever honoured for what they received, but for how they lived.
You don’t teach ethics and values in the schools. You teach them at home and children learn by example. When your values are clear to you, making decisions become easier. Educating the children without ethics and values will only make them a clever devil. People who claim to be highly educated from famous institutions fail to understand that the aim of their education is knowledge, not of facts and figures but of values. If you have the right kind of people who have culture, ethics and high values around you, you can accomplish great things.
At its simplest, ethics is a system of moral principles. They affect how people make decisions and lead their lives. Ethics is concerned with what is good for individuals and society and is also described as moral philosophy.
The purpose of ethics is to define acceptable human behavior through knowing the types of actions, its consequences and the limits of humans their actions, as well as their acceptability.
Basic human values refer to those values which are at the core of being human. The values which are considered basic inherent values in humans include truth, honesty, loyalty, love, peace, etc. because they bring out the fundamental goodness of human beings and society at large.
Acting in ways consistent with what society and individuals typically think are good values. Ethical behavior tends to be good for business and involves demonstrating respect for key moral principles that include honesty, fairness, equality, dignity, diversity and individual rights.
So the important factor here is the intention to be ethical. Being ethical is not the same as following the law. When men are pure, laws are useless; when men are corrupt, laws are broken.
An ethical society is one that values a commitment to do the right thing regardless of personal costs. It’s not an easy standard to live by but one worth pursuing. We the Rotary Leaders should try to follow this principle.
ASHOK MAHAJAN
SMILE SERVE SACRIFICE SATISFY