RIGHTEOUS LIVING FOR CHILDREN

[Instructions for Right Living for Children]

THIRTEEN FIRSTS

[A Good Beginning for Children]

• 1. Love self first: First know yourself, love and respect yourself, then you can know, love and respect others.
• 2. African first: First love your own as you would love yourself, and then you can genuinely love others.
• 3. Family first: First fulfill family responsibilities, and then you can take on other responsibilities.
• 4. Internal First: First the inner, then the outer.
• 5. Ma'at first: First make your heart perfect, and then you can develop your mind and body.
• 6. Deeds first: First value deeds, then words. What you do determines your worth.
• 7. Hard work first: First give your best work, then accept praise and reward.
• 8. Simplicity first: First value the basics, then more complex things.
• 9. Strong first: First honor the strong, the righteous, the dedicated, the very best, and then the weak.
• 10. Small first: First attend to the small, then the vast.
• 11. Self-correction first: First criticize and correct yourself, then others.
• 12. Self-reliance first: First rely on and defend self, then others.
• 13. Wisdom first: First seek knowledge, and then spiritually guided scientific action.

MORNING DECLARATIONS

[Morning Declarations]

• 1. Today I will make good decisions.
• 2. Today I will put my family first.
• 3. Today I will complete my daily assignments.
• 4. Today I will bravely deal with all matters.
• 5. Today I will be honest and direct with myself and my family.
• 6. Today I will behave honorably.
• 7. Today I will demonstrate love and respect for myself.
• 8. Today I will complete the things that my parents instruct immediately.
• 9. Today I will eat healthy.
• 10. Today I will demonstrate my self-value.
• 11. Today I will maintain high moral standards.
• 12. Today I will speak truthfully or maintain silence.
• 13. Today I will be honest and forthcoming with myself and my family about who I am and what I want.
• 14. Today I will correct my mistakes.
• 15. Today I will not speak on things that I do not understand.
• 16. Today I will work hard.
• 17. Today I will give my best.
• 18. Today I will accept the consequences for my actions.
• 19. Today I will be patient and deliberate.
• 20. Today I will clean up any messes I have made.
• 21. Today I will make right the things I have done wrong.

DAILY QUESTIONS

[Questions of the heart]

• 1. Have I made good decisions today?
• 2. Have I put my family first?
• 3. Have I completed my daily assignments?
• 4. Have I bravely dealt with issues today?
• 5. Have I been honest and direct with myself and my family?
• 6. Have I honored myself?
• 7. Have I demonstrated love and respect for myself today?
• 8. Have I done as my parents instructed immediately?
• 9. Have I maintained my dietary code?
• 10. Have I demonstrated value of myself?
• 11. Have I maintained high standards for myself?
• 12. Have I spoken truthfully or maintained silence?
• 13. Have I been honest and forthcoming with myself and my family about who I am and what I want?
• 14. Have I corrected my mistakes?
• 15. Have I spoken about only those things that I really understand?
• 16. Have I worked hard today?
• 17. Have I given my best today?
• 18. Have I accepted the consequences of my actions?
• 19. Have I been patient and deliberate?
• 20. Have I cleaned up the messes I have made?
• 21. Have I made right the things I did wrong?

EVENING DECLARATIONS

[Evening Declarations]

• 1. I made good decisions today.
• 2. I put my family first
• 3. I completed my daily assignments.
• 4. I bravely dealt with issues today.
• 5. I was honest and direct with myself and my family.
• 6. I honored myself.
• 7. I demonstrated love and respect for myself today.
• 8. I immediately did as my parents instructed.
• 9. I maintained my dietary code.
• 10. I demonstrated value of myself.
• 11. I maintained high standards for myself.
• 12. I spoke truthfully or maintained silence.
• 13. I was honest and forthcoming with myself and my family about who I am and what I wanted.
• 14. I corrected my mistakes.
• 15. I spoke about only those things that I really understood.
• 16. I worked hard today.
• 17. I gave my best.
• 18. I accepted the consequences of my actions.
• 19. I was patient and deliberate.
• 20. I cleaned up the messes I made.
• 21. I made right the things I did wrong.