“It takes courage to live squarely in accord with principle, to be loyal to the inner vision, to move forward bravely along the road of right, when the by-paths are alluring with the roses of desire, and the joy we crave tempts our hungry outstretched hand, and that which our heart longs for would be ours for the taking. But it would mean a wrong done to another, a sacrifice to principle that the world would never know, a wound inflicted on our self-respect, a failure to live up to a real man’s consciousness of what is right. It takes courage to exercise the heroism of the soul that asserts the kingship of self-control and chooses the harder road of renunciation, hearing the hopeless clang of the gates of some paradise closing behind us. Moral courage fights it out bravely in the silence and conquers: moral cowardice surrenders, caring naught what the price or who pays it.” ~ William George Jordan

The joy of doing the right thing is far more satisfying, nourishing and lasting than the temporary pleasure gained by taking shortcuts in life. Expediency instead of integrity may give the short-term appearance of success or joy, but life is a marathon, not a sprint.

Odysseus relied upon the loyalty of his crew to see him past the siren’s song, and this is perhaps the first step in the development of self-control. The lesson here is to choose your friends wisely. True friends encourage movement along the road of right. If, however, you wish to accomplish truly great things in life, you must do the work required to develop internal self-control (aka character).

A mind conscious of right must stand guard for the distractions are many and strait is the road of right. Flaccid minds yield the reins to the bursts of feeling that surge through the heart, rather than working cooperatively with the heart’s perceptive capacity. Heart and mind rightly work together to receive and translate the ever-present currents of righteousness and impulses of greatness into meaningful expression.

When you remain true to your purpose, to your highest vision, you do not think twice about the easy way out or the quick fix, neither do you succumb to the lies of the Siren’s song: “The end justifies the means.” The right thing to do is the right thing to do because it is in alignment with the truth. There are no valid exceptions to this rule.

Discerning the right thing is one of life’s great challenges but rarely is it one of life’s great mysteries. The right course of action is more often than not blatantly obvious, especially when you are in the habit of choosing the high road and out of the habit of choosing the easy way out.

“The great failing of humanity is not ignorance of the right, but cowardice, selfishness, and moral laziness that prevents them living it.” ~ William George Jordan