Everyone has somee principles they would like to abide by, but it is not an easy thing to stick to. Principles are rules that you set for yourself to never break.
There are some great benefits to obtain from sticking to your principles. An amazing benefit is if you stay true to your principles you are able to build an amazing amount of willpower. One of those principles could be that you don’t drink any alcohol when you are going to drive. If you abide by this strictly you will have a lot of situations where you have to say no, despite all the attempts to change your mind you will continue to refuse. This in turn will build your willpower and show others how strong you are. It’s easy to take the easy way out and caving in, it’s a lot harder to stick to the principle.
Important prinicples may, and must, be inflexible. – Abraham Lincoln
At first holding yourself to your principles builds up your willpower and requires willpower every time to follow it. However in time it becomes a lot easier. If you are not eating fast food for several months it will not be as much fun as it used to be. An added effect that you obtain is that the people around you will start to catch up on what you are doing. When they are getting used that you are refusing to eat fast food it will become easier for them to acknowledge that you aren’t going to accept their offer. You can still enjoy time together, just not with the same meal cheating that you would normally have done.
When your friends know what your principles are and you abide by them under any circumstance, they will no longer challenge it. At that time you will no longer require any willpower for those situations. Then you can apply your willpower when you are with other people, starting to teach them what your principles are and that they have to adjust. It is completely fine if they don’t live by your principles, but to hang out with you they will have to accept that you follow them. If your principle is to never drink and drive anymore you can still enjoy the time with your friends, they will have one friend who can take them through the night without any problems.