My Personal Principles

I believe in believing in something. This might sound circular or even trivial, but I think it's one of the most important principles I hold. The world is full of uncertainty, ambiguity, and complexity. Without Principles—whether they're about how to live, what matters, how to treat others, or what we're working toward—we drift. We become reactive rather than intentional. We follow paths set by others rather than carving our own. Believing in something doesn't mean being rigid or closed-minded. It means having a foundation. It means having principles that guide you when decisions are hard, when the path isn't clear, when you're faced with trade-offs. Your Principles are your compass. I've found that the people I admire most, the ones who create meaningful impact and live with purpose, all have strong Principles. They might disagree on what those Principles are, but they share the conviction that having Principles matters. They've thought deeply about what they stand for, and they let those Principles inform their actions. This Principle—that believing in something is essential—is itself a Principle. It's meta, but it's also foundational. It's why I'm intentional about what I believe, why I write about my Principles, and why I'm open to evolving them as I learn and grow. So I believe in believing in something. And I believe that being explicit about those Principles, writing them down, sharing them, and being willing to examine and refine them, is how we build lives of purpose and meaning.