This morning, I received a newsletter from equity education coach Elena Aguilar, challenging us to dive into the realm of core values. The task was to pick ten, whittle down to five, and finally, narrow down to a trio. Here are the three values I emerged with, along with the reasoning behind each:
COLLECTIVE IMAGINATION: I narrowed this down from initially having “Arts” and “Creativity” on my list. Imagination emerged as the victor because I feel that if we can imagine together, dream, and envision the future we want, then we can figure out how to make it happen.
EQUITY: I narrowed down to this word from initially having “Justice” and “Fairness” on my list. I got rid of “Justice” because a friend of mine doesn’t like that word, and I trust that friend’s judgment. And I dropped “Fairness” because fairness feels one-dimensional, while “Equity” is more comprehensive.
MEANINGFUL WORK: I narrowed down to this phrase from initially having “Growth” and “Results” on my list. If the work is meaningful, there will be growth and results.
My trio of values is Collective Imagination, Equity, and Meaningful Work. Core values, in my view, act as a compass for decision-making, shaping how we spend our time, energy, and attention. Our choices can either directly align with these values or move us closer to fully embodying them.
How about you? What’s the magic trio that lights up your path?
—————
link to Elana Aguilar’s list of CORE VALUES
TUNING Design Co. 