Our moral compass is the guidebook or set of commandments we establish for ourselves to live by each day of our lives. It's a reflection of who we are and is determined by how and by whom we were raised as children. Without a clear and well-defined moral compass, navigating our world becomes much more complicated. Once a young person's clay has hardened and they've transformed into a butterfly, their moral compass becomes firm and complete. As it's near impossible for people to change, this becomes who they are and will always be. A moral compass filled with hate, anger or dishonesty will likely turn into a burden for others in our society. It's the root cause for most every social problem facing our world today. 

​It's important to help your youngster establish their own moral compass... their personal set of commandments. This isn't something you can do for them or with them. It's something they need to do themselves, with your guidance. And remember, actions speak louder than words. It's your job, your obligation to set the stage; to expose them to good mentors and situations with both positive and negative outcomes. Many of the rules Jim established for himself were the result of things that didn't turn out so well. This list of truncated rules from "Are You A Good Mentor?" is a good place to start your youngster toward thinking about establishing the foundation for their own moral compass.