Community & Compassion

There are few things that happen on an annual basis and one those things is my values exercise. I did it for the first time in 2016 and have consistently found time each January to review them using Brene Brown’s “Daring Greatly” book. It’s a simple exercise but requires a lot of thought and intentionality. To summarize it, you review a lengthy list of values and keep narrowing down the list until you’re left with only two.

Community

Bringing people together and giving back has always been part of my life. It’s a value my parents demonstrated in our home and something I didn’t realize was a “value” until much later in life. I assumed every kid volunteered at their local community center. I thought we all had communal grandparents and lost track of whose house we were at. Recognizing the importance of the people you surround yourself with cannot be understated.

Compassion

When we love ourselves and our neighbors, the human experience is better. When we choose kindness and empathy, the world is a better place. I’ve learned that while it’s often easy to be kind to others, I’ve had to learn how to be kinder to myself. The journey to self-love has been more challenging than I ever expected but has made more impact in my life than any other effort.