“If a corporation is a body, then it also has a soul,” says ASEA Founder Tyler Norton. This corporate soul brings life to an organization. By creating a set of values and ethics that all members of an organization can agree upon and try to live by, we form a meaningful ethos. At ASEA, when we stand together and say “We are ASEA,” we are uniting in a cause and affirming the shared principles that allow us to be a force for good in the world.
Based on a series of ethical precepts, we’ve built an outline for how we—corporate employees and independent associates alike—hope to conduct ourselves worldwide when sharing our ASEA products, business opportunity, and culture with others. We’ve shared just a few of those precepts below as an introduction. You can learn more about the ASEA Ethos at ASEA events like our annual ASEA 2021 European Virtual Conference.
The Anatomy of Peace
At any given moment, we have a heart at war or a heart of peace towards those around us. Are we resistant to the needs around us or responding to their needs? “When I see other people as objects and resist their humanity,” explains Tyler, “I’m seeing and treating them as an object. When I see a person as a person, I can sense their needs and what they need help with, and I’m responding to them as a person.”
Paying attention to our human impulse of compassion is essential. People respond primarily to how we feel about them, not what we say or do. How we see other people determines the degree of influence we have. Seeing and treating others as people, not as objects, will allow your impact to increase when you recognize and respond to others’ humanity. When you see others truly, you are true.
The 3 Questions
In an inspiring children’s book by Jon J Muth, the protagonist asks three critical questions. We at ASEA have used this concept as a way to focus our time and efforts in the right place.
- When is the best time to do things? The best and most important time is now.
- Who is the most important one? The most important one is always the one you are with.
- What is the right thing to do? The most important and right thing to do is to do good for the one who is standing at your side.
The Power of Gratitude
Gratitude is an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts, and benefits we’ve received. The second part of gratitude is figuring out where that goodness comes from. We recognize the sources of this goodness as being outside of ourselves.
Be grateful for every moment. Life is a gift. Gratitude expressed makes us healthy, happy and represents the highest form of generosity. Write down five things that you are grateful for every day.
Talking about principles is very different than actually living them. No one is perfect, but if we strive to keep these principles front of mind, not only in our ASEA business but also in every aspect of our life, we can impact others.