No tags yet.
Values: are a person's principles or standards of behavior; it’s your judgment of what is important in life. Your life and in others life.
I want to talk about something that affects us all, both men and women alike, and that's values.
Two questions you need to ask yourself:
1. Do I know what my values are?
2. How do people view my values?
It’s a fact that if people can come to you with; Gossip, Unlawful acts, Cheating and Dishonesty, that those people really do not respect you or your values.
Your values should be so respected that people will think twice about coming to you with anything that is dishonest and corrupt. That’s how strong your values should be, that people will even tell others “don’t go to him/her they not like that” or “They don’t gossip” that’s when you know that people respect you and your values.
Many claim to know and understand their own values, but I tend to believe that you don't really know them until you have:
1. Articulated them clearly in writing.
2. Tested them through daily decision-making.
Much like ministry/business core values, your personal core values are there to guide your behavior and your choice. Get them right and you'll be efficient and focused in your decision-making, with clear direction. Get them wrong or leave them ambiguous, and you'll constantly wonder “how did I get into this mess?.”
Although your personal core values may not exactly match anyone else's, and know that it's okay, they still help you determine your surrounding culture. Most people that are intelligent, and I consider all of you are very intelligent because you're watching this right now, consciously or unconsciously use personal core values to select friendships, relationships and business partnerships. Your core values also help you wisely manage your personal resources such as your time and your money. Simply put, you should use your personal core values as decision guidelines that keep you true to yourself, and will help you out of many difficult situations.
Let me give 6 brief descriptions of a few my Values:
The first value is: Honesty
Some people in life are skilled liars. That has never been one of my skills. And there are people in business and in ministry that you just cannot trust because of their character and values. This is why I try my best to be honest with everyone. Chris Cuomo from CNN Prime Time, tells all of his guest on his show when asking the tough questions, “Just Tell The Truth.”
I tend to function better when people are respectfully direct and honest with me. I had to learn over my life to make it clear in conversation and in my writings that truth is necessary in my world, no matter how painful it is. I had to learn from not only what hurts me, but what has hurt me.
As men, we do not spend a lot of time sharing our pain with others and to be honest about our past and past hurts is something we did not learn as a child.
The Second value is: Integrity
One thing I strive for in my life is to have as strong of integrity as my father, Bishop Henry Mitchell. Because he is a man of pure integrity. A man that stands on his values as a man, as a husband, as a father, and as a ministry and even a business leader.
There are so many other values that I could name but there is one trait that cannot be challenged and that is his integrity. This is one area that I have had to correctly cultivate over my life. And I am so thankful that God is helping me with this particular value. Because I want to treat people as I want to be treated. I want to love people as I want to be loved, and I want to respect people as I want to be respected, so wherever go, and wherever I am it is my integrity that leaves an impression on on people.
The third value is: Attentive
If anything, I am one that is attentive to order, and I am kind of a neat freak. There is screaming in my head when things are not put back from whence it came, if you use it, put it away, if you ask my wife she will tell that I just can't stand things like the sound of teeth biting silverware, unmade beds, unwashed dishes, dirty clothes all over the floor, I turned into my parents.
I even try to make sure that my statements are substantiated, this is why I rarely speak in absolutes without doing my homework. It's so frustrating to hear people talk in absolutes when they do not have all the facts in order to make such unsubstantiated statements. It’s like their mouth speaks before their brain gives them permission talk. My wife always says that I don’t miss too much. I see a lot and I hear everything. And I am very attentive to my surroundings. I tend to believe it is very important to know what is going on around you.
The fourth value is: Consistency
Since people pay attention to my writings and posts, and some pay attention to my sermons and videos, credibility is critical, and as a man of God I have a lot to live up to. Hypocrisy is an assassin in my world and this core value reminds me to integrate a consistency into all of my messages and lessons and into my life, every single day. I try to be consistent in all that I do. There is nothing worth than an inconsistent leader or, being in a relationship where there is more inconsistency than consistency.
In the home, this is vital, children need their parents to be consistent in their parenting. Husbands and wives need to have a high level of consistency in their relationship. Leaders need to have a persistent level of consistency with their members. Most of the time you will find people don’t follow you because you’re such an awesome person. They follow you because, one they trust you, two you’re consistent in your leadership, and three, they follow you because they love the first two.
The fifth value is: Creativity
Being creative many people will not understand you. There are times in my life when I have to remind myself that I need to take extra steps to make my messages compelling, so I can intrigue, captivate, entertain, and connect with my audience. I truly believe that you have to be creative in your ministry, in your business, and even in your relationship. Change things up from time to time. Do something different. Go somewhere new. Try a new thing sometime. Bring a little spice into your life. Creativity should be fun and innovative. Not mundane and boring. So I try to be very creative in my life and in my relationship. I try to be open with my wife when she wants to try new restaurants.
The last value is: Impact
Like most of those that are entrepreneurs, I try to see potential everywhere I go. Which is not always easy because of whom I might be around. I have learned over time that just because you hold a position does not mean that you that have potential, and your faking will only last for so long. Making an impact in life should be everyone’s value to achieve. This value reminds me to disregard when my brain is saying: "I can't do that!" and instead ask the question: "Should I do that?" or better yet, “Why can’t I do that?” When I think about making an impact I think about how should every new opportunity be evaluated. The criteria in this are simple: Maximum results for minimum effort. You have to maximize the results and minimize the efforts. This is very effective in evaluating new opportunities.
Here are 13 key Values by: (Dr. Myles Munroe)
1. Values are Better than Rules (a prescribed guide for one’s conduct or action)
2. Values are More than Rules (As long as you're living under our roof, you'll follow our rules)
3. Values Send a Message
4. Values Must be Identified
5. Values Must be Accepted
6. Values Must be Believed
7. Values Shape a Ministry or Organization
8. Values are Personal but Never Private
9. Values Become a Culture
10. Values must be Shared
11. Values Attract like Values
12. Values Become the Social Norm
13. Values can Create or Destroy
I try to follow the Word of God instinctively without consideration, in other words, stop and considering myself first, my personal traits that are not so positive don't qualify in my mind as core values because they are unnecessary in my decision making process, because they only get in the way of positive decision making and leading effectively in God.
I hope you consider your own personal values. And live in such a way that others are affected in a positive way. That when you leave your values speaks volumes.
