Articles

Ethical Relationships

It’s the time you spend with your rose that makes your rose so important -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This is a quote from one of my favorite books The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince).  In a vast field of roses, The Little Prince chooses one rose.  That is the rose he chooses to take care of, to nurture and to spend time with.   I love the simplicity of this quote.  When choosing a love to share your life with, it is with a recognition that you are choosing to take care of your chosen one.  If you are both fully committed, then your careful and mindful attention will be directed toward each other.

Ethical relationships are ones where we are attentive to right speech and right action.  Before you say or do something that is harmful to your love, pause and think.  Ask yourself this question “is what I am about to say or do going to be harmful to my love?”  If it is, don’t do it or don’t say it.  Find a way to express your feelings and thoughts in an honest and respectful way.   By taking care of your frustration, anger and disappointments in healthy ways, you can create a sacred pause that will allow you to stop and think about how you want to be in communication with your love. 

If you did not grow up with parents or caregivers who treated each other well, you will need to learn how to love yourself and another person.  This is a worthy endeavour to learn how to have an ethical relationship.  In fact, it is imperative that people learn to love each other in tender, caring ways.  This fosters the creation of healthy relationships, healthy families and healthy communities.