What is your guiding principle in life?

A wise man once said, "It is easier to fight for one’s principles than to live up to them." True enough, we can get on our soapbox and tell others the right thing to do, but it is much harder when we have to do it ourselves. Often, we lose our way in life, we get tangled up in one compromise after another until our lives are just that – a compromise of what we envisioned living to be. We are lucky – or should I say it takes a lot of hard work – if we find ourselves on the right path again. Our principles may cause people to dislike or ridicule us, but we can always rely on them to guide us in the most difficult of times.

E-mail comments and suggestions to monsrt@info.com.ph

Businessman and Ambassador to Laos ANTONIO L. CABANGON CHUA: My principle is to make things happen and not to wait for them to happen. Don’t waste time waiting; every hour, every minute should be put to productive use because time is money. I frequently drill this in the executives of the different ALC Group of Companies. I also believe in keeping focused on the situation and not to leave any problematic situation hanging indefinitely. It’s a mark of an effective leader and organizer. This persistence in finding solutions to problems has been a major factor in the steady growth of our companies.

Former Vice President TEOFISTO GUINGONA: My guiding principle in life is to fight for just causes I believe in. In the face of challenge, I do the best I can with means I know best. And I will do my utmost despite all odds. I adhere to what Lincoln said: "If doing one’s best brings favorable result, then what is reaped is its own just reward. But if the end result is negative, then 10 angels swearing it would have been otherwise, would not make a difference."

RAFAEL G. HECHANOVA, businessman: A strong belief in God and His divine will, augmented by hard work, excellence in performance and strong moral and ethical values. I try to live by the principles of truth, fairness, goodwill and beneficial to all concerned.

NIña CORPUZ, TV personality: To paraphrase Mother Teresa – In anything you do, give the best you can, but always with kindness and compassion for others. In the final analysis, it is between you and God, and never between you and others.

MANUEL AJ TEEHANKEE, presidential adviser and Philippine permanent representative to the WTO: To strive for excellence in what I do while keeping my intentions or reasons for acting pure. In following God’s call to fulfill one’s potential, I believe that excellence alone without good intentions, or good intentions alone without effective action or skill, are not enough. In the end, the best results come from balancing nobility of action with purity of heart.

Atty. DUANE SANTOS, VP for Suburban Development, Greenfield Development Corp.: Good is the enemy of great. In the sports field, at work and above all at home, being good enough is just not good enough… especially where my wife is concerned!

Atty. VICENTE J. CARLOS, dean, Consular Corps of the Philippines: Since a lot of principles and values guide me in my life, I have to arrange them according to priority or importance. My Jesuit mentors call it one’s hierarchy of values.

With God and family in the center of my universe, I believe in living life to the fullest, savoring and cherishing all that this world has to offer.

MONSIE GUINGONA DAVID, proprietor, Stitches ‘n Things: My guiding principles to live a good and happy life should be to: Assume nothing, expect little, do more for others, need less for oneself, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot, and pray always.

MARITONI FERNANDEZ, actress: My guiding principle in life is to be true to myself. It may sometimes mean making an unpopular decision, or one that might raise a few eyebrows but I know that if I do as I believe, then right or wrong, I will be able to live with my decision and blame no one else for my mistakes. It is to easy to fall into the trap of being pressured into your decisions or choices especially in our society. I admire those that can and do stand by their own choices and live by them.

SARI YAP, president and CEO, Mega Magazines and Publications Inc.: I believe that there are things that are objectively good or bad and that I must order my life according to these truths. Do what is right no matter how difficult it is and you achieve peace of mind; do what’s wrong and it eventually catches up with you. Having firm principles to rely on has always held me in good stead because they make decision-making a lot easier in my personal as well as professional life. In conducting business at MMPI, for example, I like to use the catch phrase "profit with dignity." We know we can’t sell pornography or otherwise promote a lifestyle that erodes the moral fiber of society without having major consequences. It’s not to say I always manage to do what’s right, but the good thing about having absolute truths is that you can’t fool yourself into thinking you’re doing okay if you’re not. There will always be a North Star to point you in the right direction.