I have a bumper sticker I received from my brother that says “Jesus loves you, but I’m his favorite”. It makes me smile every morning when I am getting ready for work, not because it is at all true, but because it reminds me to calm down and live life. It’s maybe a sick sense of humor my brother and I share, but more it is a common practice we share of keeping it real.
I thought today I would continue on the value statement views by sharing one more personal example of putting your values to the test. You have now confirmed your values with your brutally honest friends, family, and enemies. You have asked yourself about the rubber bands you would wear, so next take a look at your space around you and see if your personal signs match your values, goals, and life.
Here are 10 signs you would see of me if you came to my house, saw my car, or visited my office at work.
1.Strikemaster – Sign in my garage above the door that shows my passion and enjoyment for being outdoors, especially ice fishing.
2.First Place Winner, Women Angler’s of Minnesota – Trophy I received for winning a fishing tournament a few years ago that again shows my passion for fishing as well as competitive nature.
3.Capella University – Window cling on my car that shows my commitment to my employer as well as the value they have of quality education.
4.Start Seeing Motorcycles – A small yellow window cling on my car that signifies that we need to start watching out for those that may not be as visible as well as my new hobby of riding.
5.How Old Would You Be, If You Didn’t Know How Old You Were? – Saying that is framed and hanging in my home that reminds me of the need to have a positive attitude.
6.Happiness is not always measured in smiles – Saying on a picture of a clown with a tear in his eye that I painted in high school and now hangs in my home. It reminds me that feelings run deep and strong and should be always present.
7.STAR Award – Plaque in my office at work that recognized me as an outstanding performer of a project team. It reminds me that teamwork IS a way of getting recognized.
8.PhD Diploma – This hangs front and center in my office in full view of my computer and reminds me of my ability to dedicate myself to goals that others (and myself) may never believe I can reach.
9.Coffee Matters – Logo on my sweatshirts at home. Reminds me of my commitment to my entrepreneur passion of making what matters in people’s lives front and center and something they are not afraid to wear openly for others to see.
10.Celebrate Diversity – A table stand card that I have in my office that reminds me that the value of each of us is the diversity we bring to each other and this should be celebrated.
Look around your areas at home, work, and life. What are your signs? What do they say about you? Are they saying the right things?
This was another fun assignment. I became aware that I do not have signs, I have pictures. What would these pictures show you if you entered my space. Actually, you might not even know they display any of my values…maybe, you might thing, they just cover the walls in an unknown pattern. But at I became aware of what’s on my walls, I saw how everything is indicative of my values.
ReplyDelete1) My mom’s quilted wall hangings decorate many rooms in my house. All these hangings have an outdoor theme. My mother was raised on the wide open space in Colorado, and she taught me to love the outdoors. We share this love of wildness, and her hangings display that love.
2) My bedroom is now in a state of bareness because I’m painting it. But usually the walls are covered with pictures of loved ones. Each day I wake to the faces of the people who love me and who I love—including my furry family of dogs and cats.
3) And my most prized picture is a small watercolor. Most people probably wouldn’t even see it because it is small. But it is part of a series of watercolors done by one of my favorite artists, Cathy Weber. She named the series “The Holy Cards” after a tradition from her upbringing in the Catholic Church. In each picture, a woman is creating the world by sewing quilts. Each quilt has a distinctive flower flow into another part of creation. My watercolor shows the woman sewing a quilt of purple iris which morph into the sky filled with stars and moons. I love this pictures because it displays the creator of the universe as having a female side. Also, the iris is a general name for a flower that has up to 300 species of plants with a variety of colors. In Greek, iris means rainbow, again referring to the wide variety of colors. And I so value diversity—my love of color and all things different are so very important to me. There are small moments in my life when I wish everyone and everything was similar to me so I could better understand, but the world would be so boring if we were all the same…wouldn’t it?