philosophy of life; guiding principle in life
Refers to a personal creed or set of principles that guide one's daily conduct and decisions.
His philosophy of life is 'one good deed a day.'
Health first is my guiding principle in life.
Compound of 生活 (life, living) and 信条 (creed, principle). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is a straightforward Sino-Japanese compound.