The greatest problem facing human civilisation today is that we are losing deep human values — integrity, compassion and respect. We are constantly faced with temptations to compromise ethics and take a shortcut road to riches. Our desires for money, sex, power and fame often translate into corruption, lies, love-affairs or crime. A minute of pleasure leads to many years of suffering. And by valuing wealth above ethics we lose everything.

Ethics are a set of moral principles or laws of the universe that govern the behaviour of a system — be it an individual, organisation or society. Ethics is the glue that keeps different elements of the system together — without ethics the government, business or society cannot function properly.

Leaders in government and business will have to invest more and more in corporate governance and ethical practice. Ethical behaviour should be recognised as a source of competitive advantage because it promotes organisational integrity and fairness and generates passion, trust, commitment and high performance.

Dr Martin Luther King Jr. said that "if we are going to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values — that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control."

Be a person of values. Be ethical. Awaken your potential knowing that the power of ethics is within you.

Affirmation: I am ethical

"In this world everything changes except good deeds and bad deeds; these follow you as the shadow follows the body." – Unknown

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