Values

Values are something my stepfather stressed throughout my adolescent years.  He said they were something taught by parents, popular culture, friends, and experiences.  What he didn't say is that values were something a person learned on their own. They may be influenced by a person's interactions with their environment, but they are unique to each and every person.  So here are 4 core values that define me.

Honesty.  Honesty with others.  Honesty with myself.  Honesty involves more than just telling the truth.  Honesty involves acceptance.  Acceptance with what I've done.  What others have done. And with how it affects me.  Honesty includes admitting when I've failed.  Sometimes honesty is painful.  Being honest with myself means understanding my own ego.  Understanding that success is relative.

Respect.  This one is greatly influenced by my stepdad.  He harped on respect.  And from that I learned... That you must respect people in order to earn respect yourself.  Respect includes respecting others.  But it also includes respecting yourself.  Respecting your own thoughts, opinions, and needs.  Making them known as well.  Something I am not good at.  Respecting others not only includes respecting them for who they are, but genuinely accepting them.  Regardless of race, ethnicity, upbringing, or social status.  

Kindness.  This one is kind of self explanatory.  I value kindness.  Both being kind myself and having kindness thrust upon me.  I enjoy serving others, and that may be as simple as being kind to them.  

Authenticity.  This one kind of envelopes the other three.  But being authentic in each one of these values is essential to the very values themselves... if that makes sense.  However, you should not only be authentic in those values, but also in every aspect of life. I guess a class synonym for authenticity might be congruence :)