The No-Harm Rule

At every slightest opportunity I get, I always talk about my mom and how she has impacted my life. I grew up under the shed of my parents. I grew up with 3 older siblings, but my mom gave me special attention. Better put, I paid close attention to her every move, watching her steps and following in her footsteps. I am my mom’s work of art. I am my mom’s masterpiece. She taught me almost all the good things I know. She taught me that life is not a bed of roses, and to survive you need to get familiar with some virtues or codes as you'd like to put it. She also taught me how to discern the virtues from the vices. If you're familiar with my blog, you know how much I love and admire my mom and how I always talk about her. Well, today is another day to brag about my love and admiration for the woman who brought me to this world.

Today’s Hive learners’ prompt asks us what codes we live by. A code that defines how we live our lives and relate with other people. To start with, it is important to note that living life without these cords will be meaningless and silly. In simple words, codes are rules or principles that guide the way we live our lives. No matter how things get, we will never deviate from these codes. We are all uniquely wired. Hence, we all have different codes. What works for you might not work for another person. So, what is your code? What defines your life and how you relate with other people.

One of the core codes I live by is to avoid causing harm to others through my actions. I try as much as I can to be mindful not to let my actions cause pain or suffering on those around me. Up until January, I’d always call myself a good person. Whenever anyone asks the question “are you a good person,” I’d stand tall, beat my chest and boldly answer that I am. All my life, I have always strived to do good and not let my actions harm others, but over the months, I realized I have, in one way or the other, hurt people with my words and actions. So, what do I do? I strive harder and put in more effort to make sure I follow my mom’s teachings- never let your words and actions hurt others.

I find it surprising that people go extra lengths to make sure they cause harm to others. Yesterday, I visited a friend’s hostel and he told me about one of their housemates who went extra miles to inflict pain (not physical) on her former roommate. Apparently, the two haven't been on good terms since they moved into the hostel. I have witnessed a few times when they fought. They’d fight on Monday and before Tuesday, they'd become best of friends. One of them decided to move out of the hostel, but Instead of packing her things, she totally wiped everything. After packing her things, she removed the wallpaper and stained the paint (apparently, she painted the room and did the wallpaper with her money.) I find this really disgusting. I mean, what would you gain by making your former roommate sad?

There are so many people like her out there who go the extra miles to make people sad and wipe off the smiles on their faces. In a world filled with thorns and sharp nails, make people happy.

Thanks for reading.