DecidingToBeBetter is an organization focused on personal improvement, good works in the community and the elimination of evil in our world (see Goals). Our members are people of the highest integrity from all walks of life. We have decided together to transform ourselves into the best human beings we are capable of becoming and to make our world a better place.

These are the values that we strive toward in our lives and in our relationships with others. DecidingToBeBetter members are:

• Honest, Trustworthy, Truthful
• Moral, Good, Ethical, Fair, Law-abiding
• Kind, Generous, Giving, Sharing, Thoughtful
• Friendly, Helpful, Neighborly, Loving
• Polite, Respectful, Courteous, Considerate, Civil
• Happy, Optimistic, Cheerful, Hopeful
• Intelligent, Curious, Creative, Growing, Educated, Observant
• Grateful, Thankful
• Transparent, Straightforward, Open, Sincere
• Mature, Professional, Responsible, Cooperative
• Modest, Humble
• Healthy, Fit, Strong, Brave, Courageous
• Reliable, Disciplined, Punctual
• Efficient, Organized, Resourceful
• Willing to apologize, willing to forgive
• Rational, Objective, Superstition-free
• Patient, Calm, Even-tempered
• Independent, Authentic, Motivated, Decisive
• Tolerant, Open-minded, Understanding

Read the list of values, think about it, and then watch what happens over the coming weeks. You may notice an interesting change. Having become aware of a set of ideals, do you find that you are tending to act in accord with them? Many people do. In deciding to be better - in consciously choosing to improve, and in becoming aware of the qualities of a higher state of being - your actions then start trending in that direction. You may catch yourself doing something that is out of alignment with the values, and find that it does not make you happy with yourself. You have set your bar higher, and you are now stretching to reach it. You are actually in the process of becoming better.

In addition, looking at this list of values, there are several conclusions that we can draw.

Take, for example, something as simple as interactions between members. Interactions will be cordial because DecidingToBeBetter members are kind, thoughtful, fair, open, cheerful and so on. Therefore, if you ever find yourself angry at, arguing with, yelling at of flaming another member, you can understand that something has gone wrong. There are better ways to discuss things and cooperate, so think about other ways of discussing the topic. Take a break. Perhaps agree to disagree, and then focus on the many other things you do agree on. It is well known that it is hard to discuss religion and politics, so perhaps it is best to simply avoid those topics. Focus instead on improving yourself, doing good works in the community and making the world a better place.

Similarly, most all DecidingToBeBetter activities are family-friendly. That does not mean that a child would necessarily enjoy the activity, but there should be nothing about it that would be uncomfortable if a child stumbled upon it. By the same token, all activities are adult friendly too. So if a child is crying, chattering, goofing around, etc. and disturbing the adults, the parent needs to remove the child as an act of courtesy, kindness and fairness. And if the topic of discussion is something like alcoholism or teen pregnancy, it is best to escort the child from the room so that the conversation can continue.

Obviously, since DecidingToBeBetter members strive at all times to be ethical, law-abiding, kind, responsible and rational, no DecidingToBeBetter member would ever be found molesting children or participating in any activity that directly or indirectly harms children. For that matter, DecidingToBeBetter members would have no reason to molest or harm anyone.

DecidingToBeBetter is not controversial and does not seek controversy. We are focused on personal improvement, high ideals, good works in the community and making our world a better place. None of this is controversial. None of it is offensive.

There is no such thing as a DecidingToBeBetter extremist or fundamentalist. You will not find DecidingToBeBetter members blowing up buildings, screaming at others about their "sins", preaching on street-corners, etc. We welcome new members. By following the values listed above and making a decision to be better, ethical behavior and polite interactions are guaranteed.

In the same way, there can be no scandals attributed to DecidingToBeBetter members. It is impossible for an honest, law-abiding member to embezzle money. It is impossible for a reliable, ethical member to cheat on his or her spouse. It is impossible for a patient, even-tempered member to assault someone. And so on.

These values pave the path to success in life.