Would you run into a burning barn to rescue the Golden Rule? Would you jump out of an airplane to help someone in need? Would you stop a freight train to prove you mean what you say? If so, you’re getting to the very core of what you value.
Our Core Values are the personal, non-negotiable principles by which we live our lives.
Our Core Values DRIVE our BEHAVIOR. Every day we choose, through our behavior, what impression we want to leave on those around us. That behavior is determined by what we value.
Our Core Values DICTATE our RESPONSE. Life happens. We experience things that are unexpected. We interact with people who lift us up and some who seem to tear us down. Our response is determined by what we value.
At your core, what do you value? What do you want to be known for and remembered for? What do you value so deeply that you’re willing to be ridiculed, misunderstood, experience short-term pain, or, as some have, loss of life itself? In other words, what do you value so deeply that you’re willing to pay a price in order to stick to your guns?
I would be over-dramatic to say I’d fall on the sword for each of my Core Values. At a minimum, I hope I’d have the courage and faith to willingly experience short-term pain in order to stay true to my Core Values.
Here are my Core Values and my personal ‘actionable’ definition of each. Maybe they’ll inspire you to do the hard work of articulating your own.
- AUTHENTICITY – Be real and openly express my dependence on God.
- INTEGRITY – I strive to live privately what I profess publicly.
- FAMILY FIRST – Those closest to me are my priority.
- LEARNER – Life is a journey of learning. Be teachable.
- PERSONAL GROWTH – I progress daily through the process of intentional growth.
At times, these values have cost me. In the end, I’ve gained immeasurably more than what I’ve lost.
What are your Core Values? Defining who you are based on what you value is some heavy lifting that will result in a stronger you, a stronger family, and a stronger world. Experience the impact of Core Values.
I agree Scott. Core values are as important as having a vision for our life. Really, they are directly connected. When we establish and understand the core values that we make advising to live by it makes it easier to see and walk in the vision and calling that God has on our life. They also give us a plumb line that we can check ourselves against on a regular basis. Good stuff!
I am very happy to what I have learn from a great post like this which I could relate with. In return, I would like to share my comment – The core values of an corporation are all those values we carry which form the foundation on which we perform job and conduct ourselves. We now have an entire universe of values, but some of them are so primary, so important to us that through out the changes in society, government, politics, and technology they are STILL the core values we are going to abide by. In an ever-changing world, core values are constant. Core values will not be descriptions of the work we do or even the methods we employ to achieve our mission. The values underlie our efforts, how we engage with each other, and which strategies we employ to fulfill our venture. The core values will be the basic elements of how we go about our jobs. They are the practices we use (or should be using) every day in all the thingsthat we do.