I just want to take a moment to talk about a series of principles that have been popping up in my life recently.
They’re called the Peace Principles, and though their origins are a bit cloudy, they really ring true for me, and I think they relate well to Flying Cloud.
1) Work for Peace.
This means simply that we must each work for peace, in every sense. It is our duty to resist war, but more importantly, we should be working each day to be at peace with ourselves. Quite simply, this means loving ourselves and taking good care of our mental and physical health. By extension then, we must also show the same love and respect for those around us. By following this simple principle, we can make our own lives and the lives of those around us better.
2) Work for Unity.
This principle is integral to life at Flying Cloud, and fundamentally means we will each set aside our feelings on how something should be done for the sake of the group. Rather than block consensus during a discussion because we want something done our way, a true FC-er will recognize that there are many ways to do anything, and as long as the outcome is in line with our goals, it’s okay if it’s achieved differently than we might personally do it.
3) Carry a Good Message.
This principle requires that we each go out of our way to spread positivity. Wether it’s complimenting someone on a job well done, or taking the time to appreciate something in the natural world, at FC we must all work to spread a positive view of the world.
In practice, this can mean many things. First, we all have to try never to say anything bad about anyone, either ourselves or other people. Another good guide for this Principle is that if you find yourself talking about a problem you’re having with someone more than once, it’s probably time to go to that person and deal with the problem one on one, even if it is hard.
These Principles are truly essential to life at FC, and they’re also really hard to stick with. As we each work toward adopting the principles fully into our lives, we’ll each make mistakes, or forget what we’re doing. That’s okay. When you slip away from these principles, just recognize that it’s happening, and begin to turn yourself back onto a good path. And as brothers in the Flying Cloud community, we can also help one another to stay on this path.
It’s been said that it takes a month to form a new habit. Well, hopefully this summer during your time at camp you can form the habit of living by these three simple Peace Principles. Good Luck!