“I HONOUR”
The 3rd precept of reiki says: Honor your parents, teachers and elders. But how easy is this really? For we don’t live in a simple world, with simple relationships, we live in a world where connections are complex, not least the relationships with those closest to us, which very often have huge undertones throughout our lives.
Honour… a simple word, but not a simple meaning. Or is it? Wikipedia has the word “honor” as meaning:
“Honor or Honour (see spelling differences), (from the Latin word honos,honoris) is the evaluation of a person’s trustworthiness and social status based on that individual’s espousals and actions. Honour is deemed exactly what determines a person’s character: whether or not the person reflects honesty, respect, integrity, or fairness. Accordingly, individuals are assigned worth and stature based on the harmony of their actions, code of honour, and that of the society at large. Honour can be analysed as a relativistic concept, i.e., conflicts between individuals and even cultures arising as a consequence of material circumstance and ambition, rather than fundamental differences in principle. Alternatively, it can be viewed as nativist – that honour is as real to the human condition as love, and likewise derives from the formative personal bonds that establish one’s personal dignity and moral character.”
It reads as rather a lot, and quite complex, don’t you think? So, in view of this week’s affirmation, I’m taking honour to mean as acting with high moral integrity, to treat people as you wish to be treated (one of my favourite sayings and beliefs), to do the *right* thing and for actions to match words.
In view of that, it sounds quite straightforward to honour those who teach us, who look after us and we who look up to. But how easy is it in reality? What about when you don’t respect someone, especially if they are a teacher, an elder, or even a parent? When they have constantly let you down, when they do not practice what they preach? What if you don’t like them, even if you love them? What if you have no contact any more? What if they are needy? What if your relationship is unequal? What then?
I believe this then comes down, as it usually does, to our own selves. Gawd, at this rate I think it sounds like I’m becoming a me, me, me person *grin*. Our little mirror again, reflecting back at us what we need to understand about ourselves. In which case, shouldn’t the first person we honour, be our self?
On the face of it, when I thought about this, I thought, well I do honour myself. I do what I want, when I want. It’s not like I’m going to lie to myself, promise myself things and then not deliver… it’s not as if I look down on myself… am unfair to myself. And on the surface of it, I do honour myself. But that still surface is a cover for many things that lurk below *grin*… yep, I promise myself lots of things and don’t deliver… like sleep, like chill out time… like cutting myself some slack when the metaphorical straws are mounting up on the camel’s back! I don’t think I look down on myself these days but I do know I don’t praise myself enough and that I need to acknowledge my capabilities and what I’ve managed to achieve over the years… even if I’m better at it these days than years ago… well, the list could go on and on and on. Can you recognise yourself in any of this?
So, Honour… a path that I’m taking one little step at a time… and each one filled with truth, with respect, with fairness and integrity… with love… to walk with honour. I honour myself. Do you?
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead ♥
© 2012 Michelle Payne
Dreamweaver Consulting 