SIX VALUES TO LIVE BY AND DIE FOR

In a time of value-erosion and increasing attention paid to numbers and bottom lines, we thought it would be timely to put out a list of values that we believe are important enough for people to align their lives by.

Loyalty

It’s the easiest thing in the world to always look up at the rungs that we’re yet to climb. We hardly ever take the time to look below us, especially those who gave us their shoulders to stand on. Loyalty is not always as simple as saying thank you, but it can be. Most often, though, it is about following up words of gratitude with actions of support, kindness and help. After all, no one can make it alone. There is no such thing as a self-made man. If you believe you’re one, perhaps it’s time for a loyalty check.

Trust

This is the foundation on which all relationships are built. Trust means being able to be counted upon. Trust means letting people know that you have their back, and following through every single time. Choose well whom you trust and whom you don’t, though, because there is nothing more painful than misplaced trust. As a rule, trust until proven wrong.

Consistency

Be consistent in thought, speech and deed. No matter what the quality of your work is, be consistent and be disciplined. Forming good habits will improve your craft, make you a more trustworthy person, and keep those devils of the mind from playing havoc. The higher the level of consistency between your thoughts, words and actions, the stronger your relationships become.

Forgiveness

Mistakes happen, sometimes on purpose and sometimes by accident. Living in the past doesn’t help anybody, so if you want to move on, the most rewarding thing you can do is to perhaps forgive the wrong-doer. Not publicly so that people watch and think of you as the bigger person, but in private, deep in your heart. Once you honestly forgive someone, it frees you of black emotions such as anger and indignation, allowing you to focus on the positive aspects of your personality.
Also, forgive so that you may be forgiven when you stray.

Curiosity

Be thirsty for knowledge. To paraphrase Isaac Newton, we’re all mere children playing on the sea-shore, diverting ourselves with smooth stones and pretty pebbles while the great ocean of truth lay undiscovered before us. No matter how high our expertise and how great our perceived knowledge, the amount we do not know far outweighs the amount we do. So we must forever be subservient to our knowledge, and be hungry for more, always remembering that we could be wrong about even our most cherished beliefs.

Gratitude

The message here is to be thankful for what you have rather than forever obsess about what you don’t. The nature of want is such that it will never be quenched; the wise understand this and focus, instead, on enriching experiences with what they have rather than daydream about what they want.