Priorities

What are your real priorities? In my experience, the foundation of living in practice is a clear set of personal priorities. These priorities guide the moment-by-moment decisions that apply or do not apply of my values.



Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs

One of my own priorities is acting responsibly with money, for example. I do not share the values of many capitalist financial institutions. By making sure my expenditures do not exceed my income, I maintain greater independence from financial institutions, whose values are inconsistent with my own.

Another of my priorities is dealing immediately with the needs of anyone who asks for my help. I can safely say this priority has done more to shape the texture of my life than any other. It has focused my energies on human service over my own personal recreation or pleasure. There is a great deal of need around all of us. Few of us really take the time to look at it and respond to it directly and personally.

As I listen to Republican political candidates chant against President Obama's health care reform, Medicare and environmental regulations, I realize how different my priorities are from theirs. There is no wonder in my mind why the people of this country and the world are always struggling to assert their humanity against political forces. Cover words for selfishness and greed like "freedom" and "free markets" have replaced the priorities of fairness and sharing in this nation.

I believe humanism is all about fairness and sharing. If we all would adopt priorities which are centered on love, justice and peace, instead of wealth and power, the world could heal itself. This is the purest idealism in the face of today's materialism. However, it may well be a practical approach to a world in distress.