7 Habits of Highly Effective People- post no. 1

A habit is the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire. In order to make something a habit in our life, we have to have all three components.

The core of each habit is a principle. A principle is the actual reality of the way things are. Principals are natural laws.

You cannot fake these habits (or true growth or development, for that matter). We are not in control; principles are in control. If we accept that principles ultimately govern and follow them, in a humble sense, we are in control. We control our actions, but principles control the outcome of those actions. Abraham Lincoln said: "People will pass away, but principles live on forever."

If you teach a practice (something to do), always teach the principle which underlies that practice or action. Principles govern, not values. Align our values with principles and only then can you use values and principles interchangeably. It's the same as the old adage: give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.