Values

Who do you want to be?

February 24th, 2015 : 2 minutes

Values in my life that I always try to live up to:

Happiness

Grit

Resilience

Progression

Gratitude

Community/Family

Humor

Challenge

Openness

Pragmatism

Fitness/Health

What does grit mean to me?

By definition, grit is perseverance and passion for a long-term goal. To me, grit has been the single quality that I look up to most in another person. It means giving your all to a dream and pushing through all obstacles in order to realize that dream. Grit is important to me because it equates with resilience and an undying determination to finish what you started.

Advice? What was the last topic that someone asked for your advice on? Did it relate to any of the values you found important?

The last 4 people who have reached out to me for advice have all been about relationships. Some romantic and some professional, but all of these people are looking to hear advice about openness, happiness, and progression. Is this relationship helping me become a better version of myself? How do I know whether I am compromising too much of my short-term happiness? How open would you be in confronting the issue head on?

Values and Stereotypes: How do you feel when you think about your values? Do you think it can help you mediate stereotype threat if you recognize you feel it? Can you think of any other exercises you can use to help you when you are feeling down (for whatever reason) at DBC?

I actually think this is the easiest cultural blog we have been asked to write. I am constantly thinking of my top values in life and it is because it inspires me and reminds me to be the person I want to be. Thinking of what matters most to you in your life often times helps you make difficult decisions about what to do, who to spend time with, and how to prioritize competing commitments.

Staying focused on the bigger picture is always a good way to re-center. As I wrote about last week, stereotype threat is only a threat if you allow it to be. If you just focus on doing you, stereotype threat can't faze you.