Values capture my interest. How about you? I’ve struggled to figure out my values. I am grateful to report that I have figured out my values.
Here they are as I state in my Manifesto:
Woven through every fiber of my being are the values of honesty, openness, truth, non-violence, acceptance, justice & love.
In meditation and through quiet reflection time, I slowly and surely found my values. I believe the ability to be honest requires that one know oneself. To have an understanding of oneself, to then speak ones truth with authenticity. I am always intrigued when people repeatedly say, “Honestly…” What often follows the declaration of honesty is not honesty. I hesitated to declare honesty as one of my values for this reason.
Yet, honesty is a value I hold dear. As I also hold openness and truth close to my heart. It’s interesting as I reflect on these I realize that how they are most important to me is to myself. It is the path I have pursued most of my life, the path to deeply know myself, understand myself.
Which brings me next to the value of non-violence. I have never liked guns. I have never liked fighting or cruel words. When I was 18, I started studying non-violent civil disobedience. Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. spoke directly to my heart. In my mid 30’s, I studied non-violent communication as taught by Marshall Rosenberg. It made sense to me to find ways to communicate without violence and aggression.
From there comes acceptance. From cleared space within myself, is the ability to accept everyone right where they are. It starts from learning first to accept myself in all my humanness and all my imperfections. Once that happened, and is continuing to happen, emerges the ability to allow others to be who they are.
Next emerges justice. As I reflected on my life, all the challenges and difficulties, I also began to see the privilege that I am afforded. I grew up middle class. And I am white. That gives me privilege. With privilege comes responsibility. I’ve realized that it is important to keep my eyes open and to stand up for justice. And I have. I will continue to do this.
Finally, love. Breathe in. Breathe out. Feel love everywhere. Through all my fear, through the trauma, what exists everywhere is love. I remember at a ropes course in my 20’s learning that daring to tell each other that we love each other will change the world. To step out of fear and into love, that makes beautiful sense to me. I love this world. I love my dog. I love my dear friends. I love my nieces. I am willing to love, even when I am afraid.
What about you? What are your values? Please let me know. I am interested.
