As I have grown older and reflect on how my values have changed over the years I can see how things I held very dear to me before have given way to new values and concepts. I can probably pinpoint the exact time when my values started to change to when I discovered I was going to be a father. My life no longer was about me and my goals. My outlook on life changed as well as my core values.
There are certain beliefs and values that withstand life altering events. These are the True North to my moral compass. They make up my moral fiber, and I will not sacrifice these protected values. In my concept map I noted three major core values of mine that I hold dear to my heart. These are my belief in God, protecting my family, and my love for my country. I place so much value in these ideals that the thought of altering them or sacrificing them is painful.
It seems that in today's world religion is on the front lines of political correctness and a very touchy subject. When I talk about my belief in God I am not referring to any religious context of the word. My belief is that there is a Higher Power than myself, and He revealed His message to us through many... ultimately sharing His plan for us through Jesus. This is a personal message for all those who have ears to hear and eyes to see. My values in God are not to be used as fodder for prejudice and injustice, therefore I keep them protected to me, my family, and select few others. When I have strayed from this core value and placed myself as the master of my fate I have always failed. Tough lessons to learn this way. However, the peace and fortune I have experienced by following this value of mine keeps me grounded and plugged in to a life of genuine service. For this reason I will not waver in sacrificing this value. There is no end to how far I will go to keep this value personal, fruitful, and protected.
The second value I talked about was my my family values. I don;t see too many great role models for families these days, so the ones I have encountered I follow closely. There are too many people that are misled by whatever reasons (broken home, no solid parental figures, etc) and may never reach their potential in this life. I don't want this for my family, and because of this I value how I raise my family. My wife and I are not perfect, but we love our children and are working hard to provide us with a life better than either of us had. The tricky part is doing so without raising two spoiled brats. There are right ways and wrong ways to doing things, and we try very hard to incorporate this into our children. I don't care what other influential people may say, we will raise our kids to be productive social citizens. This is a value we will not waver on.
My last core value I hold dear is my love of country. I am proud of being an American (and Texan for that matter). This does not mean I agree with how we are lead, our image in the world, or our political structure. What this does mean is I value the fabric that makes up our drive to be a leader in freedom, and willing to fight great odds to achieve this concept. I have had many thoughts of what I would do should I ever be faced with captivity abroad. Would I be strong enough to stand up and proudly say I am an American, or would I say I'm from Canada to save my hide? I hope I never have to test this meddle, but if I were to choose poorly I would probably regret it for the rest of my life. And for this reason I hold this value protected.
These protected values do make up who I am, and I imagine they do direct my decision making to a degree. However, I also believe that making the right decisions means looking at all the angles and framing decisions to maximize the outcomes. My values are just a part of the decision-making process. They keep me focused on what matters to me when faced with decisions. I feel blessed to have such conviction with my core values, as they keep me grounded and not walking around half-cocked. My belief in God, my family, and my country provide a solid foundation for me to view life through a wide frame, and I am prepared to protect these values with the highest sacrifice. Without them I guarantee I would make very poor decisions that would have far-reaching effects.
JP
There are certain beliefs and values that withstand life altering events. These are the True North to my moral compass. They make up my moral fiber, and I will not sacrifice these protected values. In my concept map I noted three major core values of mine that I hold dear to my heart. These are my belief in God, protecting my family, and my love for my country. I place so much value in these ideals that the thought of altering them or sacrificing them is painful.
It seems that in today's world religion is on the front lines of political correctness and a very touchy subject. When I talk about my belief in God I am not referring to any religious context of the word. My belief is that there is a Higher Power than myself, and He revealed His message to us through many... ultimately sharing His plan for us through Jesus. This is a personal message for all those who have ears to hear and eyes to see. My values in God are not to be used as fodder for prejudice and injustice, therefore I keep them protected to me, my family, and select few others. When I have strayed from this core value and placed myself as the master of my fate I have always failed. Tough lessons to learn this way. However, the peace and fortune I have experienced by following this value of mine keeps me grounded and plugged in to a life of genuine service. For this reason I will not waver in sacrificing this value. There is no end to how far I will go to keep this value personal, fruitful, and protected.
The second value I talked about was my my family values. I don;t see too many great role models for families these days, so the ones I have encountered I follow closely. There are too many people that are misled by whatever reasons (broken home, no solid parental figures, etc) and may never reach their potential in this life. I don't want this for my family, and because of this I value how I raise my family. My wife and I are not perfect, but we love our children and are working hard to provide us with a life better than either of us had. The tricky part is doing so without raising two spoiled brats. There are right ways and wrong ways to doing things, and we try very hard to incorporate this into our children. I don't care what other influential people may say, we will raise our kids to be productive social citizens. This is a value we will not waver on.
My last core value I hold dear is my love of country. I am proud of being an American (and Texan for that matter). This does not mean I agree with how we are lead, our image in the world, or our political structure. What this does mean is I value the fabric that makes up our drive to be a leader in freedom, and willing to fight great odds to achieve this concept. I have had many thoughts of what I would do should I ever be faced with captivity abroad. Would I be strong enough to stand up and proudly say I am an American, or would I say I'm from Canada to save my hide? I hope I never have to test this meddle, but if I were to choose poorly I would probably regret it for the rest of my life. And for this reason I hold this value protected.
These protected values do make up who I am, and I imagine they do direct my decision making to a degree. However, I also believe that making the right decisions means looking at all the angles and framing decisions to maximize the outcomes. My values are just a part of the decision-making process. They keep me focused on what matters to me when faced with decisions. I feel blessed to have such conviction with my core values, as they keep me grounded and not walking around half-cocked. My belief in God, my family, and my country provide a solid foundation for me to view life through a wide frame, and I am prepared to protect these values with the highest sacrifice. Without them I guarantee I would make very poor decisions that would have far-reaching effects.
JP
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