Personal Standards - Where do you draw the line?

[SkyWishes]

I am 20 years old and live a lone so I don't really have many people to bounce ideas about standards off (a part from my chihuahua and cat but they seem so cool with everything even my bad hair on a morning)!. I wonder where we draw the line? Of course we have the scirputres to guide us but we live in a world with so many choices. What is not "good"? I would probably say things that make us feel bad but some times it can be hard to judge what is making us feel bad. As my Sunday School teacher said once, it's not black and white, Satan likes to use all the shades of grey. We all have our prefrences and free agency but I wonder where other saints of the world draw the line? (I havn't done this to point fingers at people and see whos the golden girl or boy on here)! After all that would be me (joke) ! I am just interested to see what personal standards people have! Here are some of mine:

I don't buy meat in the supermarket (though strictly speaking I am not a vegetarian as I eat it in restraunts or other peoples houses)
I don't watch films 15 and 18 rating
I don't buy celebraty magazines
No TV or radio on Sundays

My family drew the line at watching soaps on TV. We also drew the line at how long each of us could spend at the computer.

I know a family who drew the line at buying their boys, plastic swords/guns weapons as children, I thought that was a good one to have.

So what are yours?!

[Hemidakota]

Live like a missionary and be a daily influencer.

[BenRaines]

I buy real guns and then teach my children how to respect them and use them.

SkyWishes, I would say that I am the model kid. I never caused my parents one shred of worry. I had a curfew and always was at home on time. If I was running late, by thirty minutes, I stopped and found a pay phone and called to let them know if if early enough to ask permission to be a little late. Never told no.

Have never had alcohol, other than in medication, never smoked, no coffee. Graduated high school, went on a mission, came home went to college, met a girl there and married in Manti temple. Never divorced, four adult children. Can't control how they live their lives but they have all been to the temple, two served missions.

Not perfect by any means but do my best every day to be worthy of the many blessings I have recieved in my life and continue to receive.

Ben Raines

[Loudmouth_Mormon]

Originally Posted by SkyWishes

I am just interested to see what personal standards people have!

Our big one is: No selfishness when it harms someone.
LM

[candyprpl]

This was passed down from my mother and I to my children and I still try to live it -- fall short many times but still glad to have my mother's voice in my head, LOL!

IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY ABOUT SOMEONE, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL.

I could name some others, but that one is the biggest one and it's one that will take you a long way.

[checkerboy]

I draw the line at posting standards so I won't look self-righteous.

[BenRaines]

I have no problem looking righteous.

Ben Raines

[Palerider]

We always taught our kids that our home is our "Temple"....we need to be carefull how we talk and treat each other while in our home. Our home is dedicated and if there is any yelling it should be done only if there is a fire. We need to be selective as to what we watch and listen to while in our home. We want the spirit to reside here.
I did not say we were perfect, but we need guidlines to live by and this was one way we tried to live. My kids are all older now and 2 are married and the last 2 here will both transfer to different colleges for this next year. It wasn't easy at times...but we tried our best.

[WANDERER]

Sky I get what you are saying...living alone means you have to set your personal standards and no one is there to monitor. Drawing that line can sometimes leave you confused about the different shades of grey. I think about it this way: if it lifts the bar on personal standards then great...if it lowers the bar then it's not great....I sometimes assess things wrongly...but that's okay...it's all a part of learning. Can I bridge the difference in terms of how much I am working towards that standard and celebrate the steps towards it? It's probably better to focus on the positive rather than the negative cause what you give time to and dwell on is essentially what you value and for overall happiness looking up instead of down works for me. Comparison has to do with looking back on goals and seeing achievements: hey if I want to feel bad or good I can compare myself to others but that is effectively cheating...I know whether I'm heading in the direction I should be heading in.

[deseretgov]

I don't mean to be offensive by any of this but:

Originally Posted by SkyWishes

I don't buy meat in the supermarket (though strictly speaking I am not a vegetarian as I eat it in restraunts or other peoples houses)

What's wrong with buying meat in a supermarket? I've never heard anything saying this is a bad thing.

I don't watch films 15 and 18 rating

What type of rating system is this?

I don't buy celebraty magazines

I'd never do this. Not because I'm afraid of seeing some nude celeb or somthing like that. But simply because...They're Full of Crap!

No TV or radio on Sundays

I don't listen to the radio in the car on sunday. I only ever listen to the radio in the car. But the TV has been known to be on on sunday.

My family drew the line at watching soaps on TV.

I wouldn't watch these even if they weren't all about sex. They're Crap!

We also drew the line at how long each of us could spend at the computer.

I'll probably do this for my children when I have them. I'm on my laptop often, but my wife usually restricts my time on it.

I know a family who drew the line at buying their boys, plastic swords/guns weapons as children, I thought that was a good one to have.

I agree with BenRaines(kudos to you too Ben). I buy real guns and I'll teach my children how to use them properly. My wife loves guns too. For our dates we go out shooting.