If our intention is to grow and evolve, if we want to make the world a better place, if we want to be a positive force and a strong role model for our children and loved ones, if we want inner-peace, happiness, and joy in our lives—we will have to take the high road. Someone else’s bad behavior is not an excuse to compromise our integrity and goal to be a better person. If someone criticizes us, or cheats us, or lies and tries to defame us, we must respond (if it all) with self-control, dignity, and grace. We need to take the high road without exception. Because once we willingly make an exception, once we scream, shout, and name-call, we fail at maintaining our stance. More than that, we create an opening for more exceptions and a slippery slope. Now, I say once we “willingly” make an exception, because on occasion we are going to slip up, we are human. But when we knowingly make a decision to respond angrily and aggressively, we compromise our position.

It’s important to note that when we take the high road, we don’t take it sanctimoniously, we take it humbly. We are not taking this stance to be better than, we are taking it for the greater good. It’s an unselfish act, it is not self-serving. We don’t do it as a way to display superiority. We rise above lashing back at our offenders as a way to stop the cycle of aggression, hate, and violence. We refrain from stooping down to a low road as to not fuel the anger within us.

See, it’s easy to take the low road, to spew out anger toward our enemy, to hurt the one that hurt us, to sarcastically put down someone we disagree with, and to make the excuse that they deserved it for harming us and others. That’s easy. But to refrain and maintain our wits, dignity, and self-respect, that’s hard. And it takes skill, self-control, and a higher purpose.

Look, we all want a better world, a more peaceful world, and a safer world. But we can’t rely solely on others, the politicians, the government, and the church, we must all do our part. We must take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. As they say, we’re all in this together.