Honesty

It is important to be honest, with yourself and those you deal with.  Honesty can sometimes be painful or awkward, such as when you have to face up to a part of your personality or conduct that you would rather not or when you have to say or do something you know another person will be upset over.  Yet, honesty is necessary if you want to truly know yourself or want others to truly know you and a truly fulfilled life cannot be accomplished by living a lie.  Nobody is perfect and all have given into the temptation to be deceptive or misleading at some point but a person who lies easily and with comfort is of no real value to themselves or anyone else.

Dedication

Someone once said that nothing worth having comes easily.  It is a cliche but it is also truth.  Life will not always be easy and it will not be easy to hold fast to the things that are worthwhile.  You must be dedicated and work hard.  When hardship comes your way you will likely become discouraged but do not surender.  A professional is someone who, when feeling his or her worst, still puts forward their best effort.

Respect

Show respect to all people.  Acknowledge that all people, no matter who they are, are deserving of human dignity.  You may not like to admit it but even the person you hate is still a person like you, with strengths and weaknesses, hopes and dreams, fears and insecurities.  If you cannot respect the way a person acts try to respect them for their inner humanity and, if you cannot do even that, still treat them in respectful manner; sometimes showing respect is not about the other person, sometimes it is about preserving your own dignity as a person.

Understanding

Try to understand other people and where they are coming from.  All of us are different.  Each of us has different perspectives on the world and this causes us to act in differing ways.  Do not dismiss other people's opinions or practices out of hand.  Think on them.  Weigh them carefully in your mind.  In the end, even if you cannot agree with them try to understand them and acknowledge the right of people to be different.  Everyone is entitled to the freedom to be who he or she truly is, even if he or she might seem strange, or perhaps even wrong, to you.  It should be very rare that a person's behaviour is so offensive that we must intervene and force their adherance to our idea of right and wrong and, if we do so, we should do so with reverance and solemnity.  Do not be arrogant or act with condescending moral superiority.  We must be careful never to be too sure of ourselves because we are merely human.

Compassion

This is the most important of all things: Care about people.  The world can sometimes be cruel and hurtful.  The compassion and empathy of our fellow human beings is what makes life worthwhile.  Therefore, put yourself in the other person's shoes and treat him or her as you would wish to be treated.  There are many valuable things, many great things that can be accomplished and many commendable traits but no better thing can be said of you than you were a person with a kind and good heart.