Living from the Inside Out
What does it cost for you to live out your personal values? Is there a monetary cost, a time cost – or maybe both?
I grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo in a household of faith. When it was time for me to go to high school Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in Kitchener was the natural choice. For my parents, Rockway was a natural extension of my home life. Both at school and at home we were encouraged to build our character and faith, embrace peacemaking and create a globally minded world view. My parent’s acted on these personal values repeatedly over time and did so when it was easy and also when it was hard. There were financial implications to send my siblings and me to Rockway. My mom also worked outside of the home in an era when most moms were home full-time. My folks probably had a mortgage on their house longer than other parents because of their decision to send us to a private church school. They drove us to and from school, sat on committees and helped with the organization of numerous events.
Recently I was part of an alumni reunion choir to celebrate 70 years of choral excellence at Rockway. In high school, being part of the music program was cool – music was a place for the academics, the gym rats and the “real” music people. I counted myself in the category of gym rat but loved singing in the choir. During the recent concert, where I sang with over 100 other alumni, I was struck that the choir contained spouses, siblings, cousins and two generation groupings. The fact that lots of alumni showed up was a testament to the value that music, education and relationships played in their life.
In my first residential week of my MBA, Bill Grace, director of Common Good Works, talked about values. He suggested, “Values are not just philosophical ideals; they are tangible moral assets meant to be chosen, prized, and put into action”. When people live through their values they can provide a center which makes it easier to live with the consequences and realize the benefits of those values.
Recently I had the opportunity to spend time with a fantastic group of young adults at a children’s summer camp during their staff orientation. In the workshop I talked about core values and began to show the staff how values can become an internal compass to navigate choices. When people cultivate a relationship with their core values they are able to live out their values even when facing challenges. Studies show when a person chooses their own values he or she is far more likely to act on these values over time.
What is it that you value – happiness, money, family, relationships, success, faith, curiosity, kindness, love? You may say that you value the whole list or you could brainstorm a different list. If everything is a core value, then nothing becomes your priority. If you choose three or four values that are essential to you, write them on a slip of paper and place them in a prominent location they will anchor you.
What I know for sure…when we align our daily choices with our values we lead from a place of greater intention and increased integrity and peace of mind.