I was first introduced to the term “Core Values” in the Navy with Honor, Commitment, and Courage. The concept of values was introduced to me much earlier however, as the Boy Scout Oath where a Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent (Whew! That was all 12 without Google!). While I try to live and exemplify all these things, I have discovered my own personal core values and added them to the already existing set of good, ethical principles. My core values are the things I derive value from.

My high school had a great 10 year reunion. The 20 year reunion was not so great; lack of interest forced us into online chats and emailing pictures to reminisce. I recall a particular interaction with an old friend where she summed up my life by saying “Well you seem very blessed.” I’d heard it before, but this was different: this was from someone whom I thought knew me. And it hurt.

Fear serves a purpose; it keeps us safe. Recognizing fear and acting on it allows us to avoid danger and keep us out of harm’s way. It tells us when to stop and helps us realize our limits.

I was recently called out for lacking humility and failing to accept blame; i was unapologetic. I found it interesting because I always make mistakes, and it seems I’m always apologizing or rationalizing my actions. So let’s dote on that for a little bit:

I was a procrastinator most of my adolescence. At some point I made the decision to change my ways and I knew I had to find some sort of inspiration or motivation to get me moving. Now there are many clichés about motivation and moving in the right direction. Maybe you’ve heard: “The first step is always the hardest.” Well heck, if taking the first step is the hardest, let’s get going… I took that first step, put in the hard work, and everything after seemed to fall into place: it worked! Then I did it again. And again. I got good at starting things.