principle behind
the other day, i was asked about my principles and honestly i froze a little. I've been thinking about why i care, why i should do but when asked i didn't have a concrete answer. so, this will be trying my best to define.
i gotta start at the start of why i exist, purpose, passions, and the very first. As humans it's instinct to be emphatic, why do people don't commit murder? cause we can understand from our lens we do not want someone else to kill us. So, the emotions implied in us can be understood by others.
Principles are the reason why we act, what motivates us, and how we conduct ourselves. I guess the Constitution is important to bring up...
Andy's Constitution
Preamble This constitution is a commitment to live intentionally, prioritizing health, joy, and responsibility. It is a guide to avoid self-inflicted harm and maintain a life of purpose and integrity.
Principle I: Self-Preservation Andy will protect his physical, mental, and emotional health above all else. Sacrificing health for any goal or ignoring well-being is an act of violence toward himself. Actions such as neglecting rest, proper nutrition, or mental peace are unacceptable. Principle II: Purposeful Living Andy will focus his energy on meaningful tasks and avoid procrastination on what matters most. Avoiding responsibility or letting tasks pile up creates stress and chaos, which harm his well-being. Life is short; Andy will choose actions aligned with his dreams and refuse those that drain purpose or joy. Principle III: Joyful Pursuits Andy will prioritize hobbies and activities that bring genuine happiness and fulfillment. Neglecting joy or choosing activities that drain energy is an act of self-neglect. Time and energy will be spent on what uplifts the spirit, even when life gets busy. Principle IV: Active Responsibility Andy will take full ownership of his actions, decisions, and their consequences. He will remain adaptable, responding effectively to changes and challenges in his environment. Ignoring responsibility or failing to adapt is equivalent to reckless harm toward self and others. Andy will seek to be more mindful and thoughtful in conversations with friends to build up their emotional bank. Andy will listen more times than he speaks and will stop interrupting people.
Model Living Andy wants to be a person with integrity Andy wants to complete his productive to get his goals Andy wants to live a meaningful life for others he cares about Andy wants to enjoy his time on earth no matter the circumference Andy will be proactive about things he wants Andy will overly not be thoughtful of actions that are committed and needed
Closing Declaration I, Andy, pledge to uphold this constitution as a daily guide to living a life rooted in self-preservation, purposeful action, joy, and responsibility. This document will serve as my compass, ensuring I remain true to my values while navigating life’s complexities.
Ultimately, one day i thought to have a sense of structure to my life. Just knowing is not the same as writing it down and really executing it. Everyday I ask myself what makes me happy and the priorities in my life. Without this constitution, i realized the things that really matter just didn't and it changed the way I viewed the gym, work, and the activities. After making the consitution, i have been more committed, seeking goals, and working on my communication to be a better person.
It's been a sample in how I conduct myself. But, that was the principle behind crafting the consitution. For me, it was the definition of "self-violence". Somewhere i can't remember mentioned that self-violence comes in many forms and just because it is not a "large" violence doesn't mean it's not bad for you! So i evaluated my life and picked out what i deemed to be causing me violence. From a low exercise lifestyle, lack of effort, my focus, the foods i eat, and from there i prioritized the man goals that are important for me. Of course, when first reading it it's simple. But, i don't think life is as complicated as we make it. Like health there are samples of a good life and i think it's fulfillment, health, and value in one's self.
Fullfillment comes in many forms such as hobbies, improvement, work, or doing things that matter. It's up to the person, but for me i found the work that gave me fulfillment is helping others and coding. So, somewhere in between i want to bridge this gap. I've already experimented with the formula of coding x community x impact. but, i found that if the work it self did not apply to myself even if it fit to my life it would not be something i can stick too. Which happed with plain-code, a website which people share mindmaps. I just never used mindmaps in a coding sense. So, it just didn't make sense. which is why i pivoted to seeit, which is more about fulfillment, value seeking, and impact which makes more sense to me. Likely, why it's been a few months and I'm still obsessing over the idea of it.
health comes before all else. without health you have nothing. I also see health as a multiplier on my life from focus, thought, physical hobbies ie rock climbing, and just a good routine to have. Sweating is good and although I'm doing a lot a lot of exercise like our ancestors i believe it will do me good as I keep going. So far, been doing it a month straight! which is awesome and very proud myself.
value is a hard one. i think that most kids don't know their value. infact, my value was shattered so many times in my life. no, it's likely the catalyst to why i wanted to work on a value/impact app like this. giving value which i didn't have seems like something so interesting to me. how does one create value? I'm not sure but I'm trying with seeit. let's see where this goes. its probably a mixture of human interactions that deeply move people. this is the core of what it is. even if it's one the human interaction makes life so much more enjoyable.
So, if my principles are here and i want to be happy i need to be proactive. Which I'm working hard to make my principles reality.
Here is the formulas mentioned about in more details... Happiness/fulfillment = enjoy x community x impact.
enjoy this is the literal activity that i want to do. for me it's coding. coding has always been fun as a way to build software or do interesting thing with it. been coding for a while and don't plan to quite. i can definitely dispear in a codebase given infinite time.
community community is important because it's the type of people we surround ourselves with. such as family, friends, or work. ultimately, for me the people have a great effect on me and i care deeply about the people i know. if i had to give a million dollars to a stranger or a friend i would likely give it away to a friend. which is a my personal bias to the community, meaning on my internal priority list community > stranger and are the people i want to make happy.
impact this is an attribute you can change base on what your wants our. but, i want to make a difference. why? cause if i have the skill should i not? if a preganent lady is struggling with her stroller, i have always felt bad about this. guilt builds up and i question why i even do this. if i can i will. the people who have been impactful I'm my life have been a great help and i want to be that person to someone else.