Core Values

I haven't set an actual goal at this point, to write once a week, but I like the idea that as of today, I've successfully done this for two whole weeks!!! Now, forgive me, anyone reading for entertainment or value add, but at this stage in the game, I'm writing for me....just to do it, to build a good habit - to reconnect with sentence structure, syntax and spelling, all my old friends.....and to reflect on this season of life:)

I remember when the year 2000 arrived....no I'm not referring to all the y2k insanity but rather to a phrase my dad used to repeat over and over prior to that year - "Amy, do you know that you'll be 20 on the 20th in the year 2000?" Well, 20 on the 20th I was that year, and I as contemplate that season of life, it's hard to believe that another 10 years has passed and another decade has begun.

I love round numbers - even numbers that can be organized and divided up in nicely paired parcels....so of course, despite the fact that 2009 was the year I became a bride, I have a certain love for the year 2010:) It seems like a better year than most to start or try something new, and to really succeed at it....whatever that might be. Random I know, but these are the silly things I find myself thinking about from time to time. 2010 also seems like a great year to get organized in the office, to take the effectiveness of my job to a new level and to start preserving my memories of days gone by in a way I can look back fondly on in the future.

The last few days I've attended a professional development conference (ALADN) that has been dynamic. Of course it's easy to get energized by meetings like these, but for me especially, it's the first time I've been in a room with more than 170 other people who do what I do - specifically. I honestly think that I'd started to believe that I was the only one facing the challenges and opportunities that I do in my current job (raising money for the Pepperdine Libraries, among other things). But this week I've been affirmed in every fear and frustration that I encounter in my job and I've been infused with energy, ideas, confidence, and a new hope for the future of my work. Now of course none of this changes how many hours are in the day - but I do hope that it will effect how I perceive and use the hours that I do have.

One of the sessions yesterday was about finding the balance in our lives.....between work and life...and in so doing we were encouraged to look at the things we value most in our lives. It was actually a brief exercise that I recommend you try too:

1. List your personal Core Values
2. What would your family say that you value?
3. Think of a favorite book/movie - are there values you can add?
4. Think about people who push your buttons and why?
5. Do you value the OPPOSITE of these characteristics?
6. Finally, consider your list and prioritize it.
7. Then ask - are any of these things on the floor?

**The facilitator closed the session by explaining that Family, Friends, Health, and Spirit are all made out of glass - if you drop them, they tend to shatter....but Work is like a ball, and it can always bounce back. She encouraged us to remember this as we consider the way that we balance our values and allow them to determine how we spend our time and energy.**

Here's my final list of Core Values:

1. God/Faith/Belief
2. Love/Passion/Jeremy
3. Family/Friends
4. Health/Life
5. Laughter/Creativity/Adventure
6. Growth/Personal Development (why I'm writing this blog:)
7. Achievement/Success/Productivity (work)
8. Flexibility
9. Acceptance

In other words.....LIVE. LAUGH. LOVE.

Of course, this exercise, and my values list are only one of the many things that I'm taking away from this conference, but I share about it here because I think it might be helpful for others to think about, and because the act of reflection often allows information and experiences to really sink into our hearts and minds, and in turn, those things can influence or inspire change. My goal in sharing this information here, is that while I process all the other learning I've done over the last three days and consider how I want to change the way in which I work, I aspire to do that through the lens of these values. Hopefully this perspective will empower me to work for and from the things that I value most, and in a way that enhances my work and personal life overall.