Here are twenty core values that guide me every single day. Especially in tough times.
1. Remember your call. When things get tough, remember why you chose to do what you do.
2. Keep your primary relationships strong
3. Tend your soul
4. Get better every day
5. Add value to the lives of others.
6. Don’t take things personally. Any problem you have that would go away if you quit your job is professional, not personal.
7. Hold it steady.
8. There are no shortcuts. You can’t cheat the hours necessary for excellent work. Work smart. Work hard.
9. Stay humble. The second you get thinking you are all that, you are finished.
10. Keep it real. Just be an authentic and decent human being. People can not only handle that, they will embrace it.
11. Don’t ignore problems.
12. Be Generous.
13. Don’t Quit. The second you quit, you lose.
14. Admit your mistakes. You will make them. Offer forgiveness. Accept forgiveness.
15. Choose peace. It takes two to have a war. Leave your enemies one enemy short of a war.
16. Determine your metrics. Decide what a principled “win” looks like and accumulate as many as possible.
17. Take responsibility. If it is your fault, you can fix it.
18. Take time off. You are running a marathon, not a sprint.
19. Do your job well. Remember who signs your paycheck.
20. Have fun. If you are not having a good time, no one else will be either.
-Rev. Shane L. Bishop is the Sr. Pastor of Christ Church in Fairview Heights, Illinois
Wow! Excellent and timely message.