My core values, officially adopted on 3 September 2018, are not necessarily values that I embody, but they are values to which I aspire. They are values that I reflect upon in both simple choices and difficult decisions.
This first core value is a 2-for-1. Perseverance is about sticking with a mission even when the odds are incredibly low and hope may be in short supply. Spirit is about encouraging others through a positive attitude despite a difficult situation.
Perseverance & spirit is borrowed directly from a letter written by General George Washington to Major General Philip Schuyler on August 20, 1775. Things were not looking so great for the Continental Army and to offer inspiration Washington wrote:
Perseverance and Spirit have done Wonders in all ages.
I keep compassion as a core value as a reminder to be gentle and kind with others—and with myself. There is much pain and suffering on this Earth, but I believe that an abundance of compassion can bring relief to all beings.
Fostering the value of faith helps me relax in that knowledge that all is well. While I do not think that faith guarantees miracles in any way, I do believe that faith gives room for miracles to happen.
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