I have a code of conduct, but it’s far less specific than it used to be back in the days when I used such a code mainly as a Richter scale for measuring the strength my current rebellion.

These days I try to be kind, thoughtful, completely honest with myself (an ever-evolving process) and as honest with others as kindness allows.

I try to approach people who are different than I, or who don’t seem to be behaving as I think they should, with curiosity and compassion, and without judgment — which is still a huge struggle for me, particularly when it comes to even thinking about well-off, strident proselytizers of fundamentalist Christianity or any other such judgmental religions. Why, why, why do such people have to disapprove of others in order to feel that they are holy themselves? But by even voicing this query, obviously mea culpa as well.

I try very, very hard not to attempt control of other people, places, or things.

I try to exercise self-control — not in a rigid, teeth-gritting sense, but in the sense that it’s stupid to do things that I know are stupid.

About money — that old, seductive root of all evil. I want to be able to pay for my own comfortable food, clothing and shelter. I’d like my life to remain reasonably free of draining financial stress, and I’d like to be able to have a reasonable amount of fun that costs money. But I only want these things if I can achieve them without doing something I know is wrong or limits someone else’s chances of having the same things. The Steps have taught me to be ultra-scared of any sense of personal entitlement that tries to con me into ever justifying doing anything for any reason other than that it is the next right thing I can figure out to do. This is not because I’m afraid someone else will find out what I’ve done, and I’ll get into some kind of worldly trouble, but because it’s this kind of screwy rationalization that will rob me of my hard-won peace-of-mind. I also have a healthy fear of the allure of things — particularly if the thing is new and advertised a lot on TV.

I also remain inherently uncomfortable talking about God. I try to do most of my talking about the specifics of what faith I have through how I live my life. And for me, any emotion such as triumph — one of the many feelings I term addictive emotional substances — are feelings I’ve learned to shy away from. Personally, I find them as dangerous to my peace of mind as my drug of choice. Whenever any of these seductive feelings threatens to take control of me — thank-you, Mr. Wordsworth, you did put it so well — I’ve once again allowed the world to be too much with me, I’ve gotten way too concerned with getting and spending, and I’ve once again chosen to remain part of the general problem instead of part of the general solution.