1.  The Sun and Earth are THE MOST important because they sustain us all.  They should be preserved, protected, and kept in decent shape for the next generations if we are to endure. If we somehow ruin the sun, or poison our planet, we doom not only ourselves, but other intelligent life as well. We have a responsibility, as the smartest creatures on the planet, to avoid sabotaging our collective futures.
2.  Mankind should be strengthened and preserved in harmony with our planet, making the change from fossil fuels that will soon run out to instead use sustainable power sources, sustainable farming, and other "eco-friendly" technology as they become available. We need to act locally, with a mindset that is beneficial universally, and long-term, rather than trying to cash in all our reserves at once. Lubricating oil is expensive to synthesize; we ought to avoid just burning it all in the next fifty years solely for its' energy content, but rather "make it last" by slowing our consumption by adding solar, wind, geothermal power and others to our ways to produce much of our energy, which will leave some lubricating oil for the future that does not have to come from hugely energy-consumptive, artificial processes. Short term gains need to be set aside for our long-term future.
3.  All knowledge and understanding is by nature incomplete and subject to refinements.  Learn all the useful things you can to better yourself and our world while accepting that it is an unending process, and forgive yourself for being unable to learn it all. Pick something that you are good at, and enjoy doing, and be the best you can at your particular choice. Also allow yourself the right to change that choice periodically, as you learn, grow and evolve. Be open to changing your behaviors as our understanding becomes more complete.
4.  Avoiding injury and your general survival (breathing, access to water, food, etc.) are paramount needs from moment to moment. We are human, and the survival instinct is very strong in every living creature.
5.  Practice kindness to your family, club members, friends, workmates, the poor, and especially kindness towards strangers, the disabled,those in distress, and YOURSELF! Try to be helpful to others, while avoiding putting yourself at risk (set limits). Get enough sleep! If you neglect yourself, you will be focused on personal survival and comfort, rather than the choices that favor our species' survival and the good of the group.
6.  The chaotic nature of life will always produce seemingly random and unexpected results.  Accepting this fact with grace will reduce both your stress and those nearby. Roll with the punches, and always have an alternate plan. Fretting over every slow vehicle is bad for your health. Relax and put on mellow music and enjoy the scenery (or stop for food or drink or just a break from intense concentration), and don't tailgate to "punish" those slowpokes. Almost always, as soon as you manage to pass, there will be another vehicle, just down the road, just as slow. You can only control yourself, unless you are willing to push them off the road! Invent new distractions to avoid focusing on the negative; slower speed means more chances to look at scenery you would have missed otherwise. "Smell the Roses," visually, when given the chance.
7.  Our appraisal of our value in this world should be derived from what we try to contribute towards the good of our family, workmates, group, neighborhood, state, country, and planet (roughly in order from least important to most important). Think about how you affect those you connect with, and try to be a positive force for change in the direction of whatever is best for everyone, on a long-term basis. "Go gently amid the noise and haste," while keeping the common good your top priority.
8.  Tolerance of differences should be encouraged, accepted, and embraced.  We need to forgive slight insults, drivers in a hurry, different ways of thinking or dressing. Look for what WE have in common, rather than differences that don't really matter. Try to treat everyone the same; with courtesy and respect while gently defending your "boundaries." Different cultures have different boundaries, and most people will respect your personal set of boundaries if you make them known. Use the open palm of your hand as a sign to let others when it is their turn at stop signs; it helps speed things along while respecting others' right to their proper "turn." Don't jump "out of order," unless the person next in line is blocked by another person making a turn that blocks their path (in which case, you go quickly, to take a turn while they are blocked (for the good of the group by making best use of the available TIME), while not delaying them as you do so). Have a sense of fair play, and try to avoid taking unfair advantage.
9.  Violence never solves anything; it only makes things worse.  Handle your interpersonal conflicts via negotiation and compromise before anger (on either side) spirals out of control.  Don’t completely stuff your feelings (instead, make your needs and desires known), but also try to avoid overreacting, as that is not helpful.  Make a conscious choice to be happy, connected with others and physically active. Look for ALL the ways that you are "Blessed and Lucky" [a Natalie Merchant/ 10,000 Maniacs song quote I'm fond of], and you will feel blessed and lucky every day! [If you look for unhappiness and discord, you will find it in great abundance. Life "is not fair." But actively looking for the positives will enrich not only your perception of life, but improve the general environment for everyone in your vicinity.
10.  All life has value, has a purpose, and is not to be destroyed thoughtlessly.  Priority should be given to more advanced life forms, but the balance of the whole interrelated system is far more important than any one individual part. Keeping ants out of your house is good, but killing off so many birds with DDT residues in the environment is an unacceptable price to pay. Do what you feel you need to do (to defend your house from unwanted invasions) without poisoning our general environment more than absolutely necessary. Buy ladybugs to control aphids rather than pesticides, even if it costs more.
11.  Laws and other rules exist to promote social order, and should be followed.  The most emphasis should be placed on the rules whose violation results in the most serious consequences.  You know your culture, your gut-level feelings, and what is considered fair play.  Do what feels like the right thing to do, while trying to meet your needs. Don't be afraid to bail out of a bad situation because your friends want to do something stupid. You have THE RIGHT to choose. Walk or run away if that's what you have to do! Don't let peer pressure warp your values, and don't let your personal needs be an excuse to crap on somebody else.
12.  Strive to improve yourself, while accepting and adapting to your limitations, and also making adjustments to allow others to connect with you, in spite of any limitations they may have (language, vocabulary, etc.).  Strive to connect, and not let minor differences be your focus. Be charitable and helpful to others in accordance with your ability. That person in a wheelchair, struggling to do his daily errands, could very well be YOU, after some misfortune or accident that is not your fault. Those with more money have more responsibility to help the poor than those with little money to spare. Open your heart, empathize, and try to be helpful. No man is an island; we all need to rely on others in times of trouble, and the loss of one is a loss to the whole. Volunteer to help.
13.  Abandon behaviors that do not work.  Ask for help when you need it.
14.  Try to be happy, and don’t mentally beat yourself up over small mistakes.
15.  Choose the least harmful path when you are forced to make such a terrible choice.
16.  It is more important to be a good sport than a good player.  If you win and lose with equal grace, you demonstrate integrity, and lead others by your good example.  Cheating is unacceptable. Act as though a camera records ALL your actions, and your mother / father / sister / brother /son / daughter (you pick any or all) are watching you LIVE on television. What life lessons would you like them to see and learn, and are you acting in harmony with that ideal, or falling short? Don't let pride stop you from correcting an error in time. Do your best, while admitting mistakes, both to yourself, and those close to you.
17.  Be responsible and try to do the right thing for the planet, mankind, your family, and all you believe is right.  Encourage others to do the same, as inaction is unhelpful. Pick up trash, recycle everything you can, be a good neighbor. His weeds are your weeds, just give it a month or two for the seeds to spread! Help in their direction often trickles down to you, very rapidly.
18.  Accept that the chance to live is a precious gift to participate in life on this planet by being humble yet proud.  Do not extend life if it means only endless suffering.  Everyone dies sometime. Live every day, while thinking about how people would remember you if you died tomorrow. Try to behave in the manner that you want people to remember you by (imagine what they will say at your memorial service, if that helps).
19.  Try to leave a legacy of love; try to love and not hate.  Enrich your life with love and make that human connection nurture not only yourself, but those around you! Don't leave it "unsaid" that you love and value them, and they help sustain you. Seize the moment and fully participate; don't be a "wallflower" at the dance, because the rich rewards are not to be found on the periphery. The more involved you are, the "riskier" it feels, but the "safety" of keeping a distance means that the rewards will be fewer.
20.  Express your needs, set limits, prioritize tasks, and break complex tasks down into manageable steps you can handle.  Create a system for managing tasks that works for you. Don’t become overwhelmed (see number 13; you need to be willing and able to ask for help when you need it!). Personally, I make daily lists of things to do, cross off what I get done (or decide I don't have time for), and make a new list the next day. I never get everything done, but it helps me make smart choices about what I have time for, and what I don't. I try to be tactful, but do not throw my whole set of priorities out the window for some unimportant event, while trying to maintain a strong network of family and good friends (again, compromise and negotiation are great tools).
21.  Using the ideas listed above, fill in the rest yourself.  Find your own truth. Draw a good set of maps to navigate through life.

As complex as our lives are, there are many more that could be listed as ideals, but aren’t. Thou shalt not road rage.  When possible, thou shalt buy products that contain solar cells instead of disposable batteries. Thou shalt have a reserve of food and water for emergencies. Because in the process of writing all this down, I realized that it made no sense to add things that could be inferred from the others, but I also wanted to say enough that they were pretty well unambiguous, while leaving plenty of room for personal or religious choices (which is no small task).  They are a beginning, not an end. I added enough details to try and make my values and intentions clear. These are my ideals, and I don't claim to be able to do them all, 100% of the time. I'm no saint! I just believe if more people would try to aspire to a set of ideals similar to this (disregarding minor differences over what ELSE should be added), "the world would be a better place" (as Jackie DeShannon put it in a 60's song). I aspire to do them all, and quickly forgive myself for being human, and imperfect when I fall a little short. "I get knocked down, but I get up again... " ("Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba). Please email me if you have suggestions for significant changes (my email address is embedded in images used for contacting me through my Leathermaking and Webmaster pages). [And insofar as a significant change, if you said that numbers 3 and 4 ought to be switched, I'd probably agree. But I wrote it this way after many revisions, and feel that major changes beyond this point will not help get across my message. Some are a little redundant. But at some point, I have to say it's good enough, and the "spirit" of my ideals are pretty clearly expressed.] I can't put my email here in this text, or I'd get flooded with junk. But if you DO contact me, I'll try to reply in a timely fashion, while attending College full time. Thanks.