June 16, 2008
Standards of our own
Several months ago I was looking for some environmentally conscious funds to invest in, so I asked a friend who works at a very high level as an environmental advocate to recommend some to me. I was surprised when it took months for him to get the information since I figured he’d just have to review his own investment portfolio. So after a couple months I asked what he invested in. I was shocked when he listed several corporations that have abysmal environmental records.
He later told me he was kidding. But I felt distressed in the hours when I thought that this representative of the environmental movement invested in companies with bad environmental records. I thought - “Am I the only one who wants to invest in things I believe in? Am I a fool for limiting myself to companies that meet my criteria?” I was relieved to know my friend was joking.
However, ultimately it doesn’t matter what anyone else does. We need to make our own choices according to our own values even when others make choices that seem to be based on a lower standard.
We set our own standards in communication as well. For example, just because someone else gossips doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to. Just because someone else ridicules others doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to. When you raise the level of your communication, you will limit yourself. But you can sleep at night, because you act in accordance with your own values.
I’ve created suggested standards for Responsible Communication, which I present in this poster. http://www.speakstrong.com/store/#soc But the best standards are the ones that you know in your heart are right. If you miss some opportunities because your standards are high, you haven’t missed anything.
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