A500.2.3.RB_MaceRoyce
Integrity, resilience, excellence, and kindness are some of the most important standards in my life. I try to live up to each of these standards everyday. Although cliche, I would say that I acquired these standards through my parents. I watched and observed each of these standards exemplified through my parents. They continuously set these standards and as many children often do, I emulated these standards by way of the admiration that I had for them. Even as I transitioned into my teenage (rebellious/self-centered) years, I often found myself still living these standards out everyday. This is how I SEE-I each of them:
Integrity is doing the right thing when nobody else is looking. This is a definition that I learned throughout my career in the United States Air Force. Our first core value is "Integrity First". Integrity first means that being honest with yourself and other is the first step to subsequent values and standards. Without integrity, none of the other values or standards will hold.
Long before the Air Force, my parents taught me integrity. For example, my father once took money out of an ATM. After the ATM was done dispensing the money, my father realized he had been given more money than he had originally asked for. Instead of keeping the money, he chose to go inside the bank, explain what happened, and returned the money. I never forgot this occurrence and have tried to live up to this standard ever since.
An excellent illustration of integrity comes from blogger Harold Stone (n.d.), "Like the steel I-beam infrastructure of a skyscraper, a culture stands on its skeletal integrity of customs, mores’ and laws. The survivability of a skyscraper (or culture) is reliant on the integrity of both materials and the design. If the superstructure is free of material flaws and the workmanship free of defects, the building can withstand the forces of nature for centuries".
Next on my list of standards is resilience. Resilience is the ability to face adversity and overcome its effects. When a human being faces a hardship, that person's ability to overcome the hardship and put it behind them is what resilience ultimately entails. An example of resilience is a person who commits a crime and goes to prison. That person faces a choice. They can remain down on themselves and blame others for their mistake or face the situation "head on" and overcome their situation, get out of prison, and lead a new life free of crime; they maybe even strive to become a better person by going to school or helping others stay out of prison. Although a very simple analogy, resiliency can easily be illustrated by imagining a child learning to walk for the first time and falling down only to get up and try again.
My third standard is excellence. I define excellence as giving 110% effort in everything you do no matter the challenge or time constraints. Further, excellence is going above and beyond 100% to do the best job that can possibly be done. An example of excellence is staying at work past your scheduled work hours and ensuring a job is not only completed, but completed as well as it could possibly be. I personally feel as if I can illustrate this standard as I have stayed many times after work and worked on projects to make sure they were done with attention to detail and completeness. Excellence asks for an individual to not just get things done to get them done, but also paying attention to the task at hand with complete focus and 110% effort.
Last, but certainly not least, is the standard of kindness. This standard is very important to me and one that so many people take for granted. Kindness to me is treating others with respect and showing a deep consideration for their feelings. Kindness is another standard that holds an importance on the same level as integrity. Without them, there is no foundation in which you can live and exemplify other standards. They are pillars in the world of standards that help to properly add other "levels" of standards on top of them.
An example of kindness would be observing a complete stranger dropping something from their pocket. The reason that I specifically say "something" is to show that this something (whether it be a piece of paper, key chain, etc.) has no value to you as a person. You are not faced with having to make a moral decision (integrity) to return it to its owner because it has no value. You are returning this "something" out of pure kindness and love for a fellow human being. Without kindness, our world would be a very lonely and dark place.
Looking back on these standards has reminded me why I love them so much. They define me and I am proud to say that although I have not always been perfect in all of these standards, I try my best to execute them 110% (excellence exemplified). As mentioned before, these standards came to me mostly through my parents, but my approach to one of them specifically has changed over time.
Resiliency was a standard that never meant too much until about four years ago. Unfortunately, I was cited for a misdemeanor DUI while serving on active duty in the United States Air Force. This event was the toughest thing that I had to face both personally and professionally. It shook me to my core. I let my family, friends, and fellow Airmen down in a big way.
Instead of blaming others or getting down on myself, I decided to become better in every way that I could. I set extremely high standards for myself (excellence again, but on steroids this time as my mistake had hampered my confidence and reputation) and worked to reverse the effects of the DUI. I set out to earn my B.S. in Aeronautics, earn a private pilot's license (PPL), and get promoted to E-6. With resilience and a lot of perseverance, I completed all three in four years time. First the promotion, then the PPL and finally the degree.
In conclusion, people define and find importance in a wide spectrum of standards differently. Personal experiences help define these standards and give them a hierarchical meaning. As we progress through life, some standards may become more important than others due to a range of reasons including personal experiences, education, and a multitude of other reasons. I know that resiliency became more important for me over time, but it took 26 years of life to give it the importance that it deserved. Standards are what define us and ultimately dictate the type of lives we live, so think carefully about what standards you choose to keep close.
References
Stone, Harold (n.d.). A Skyscraper as a Metaphor For Integrity. Retrieved from
https://haroldstone.wordpress.com/integrity/a-skyscraper-as-a-metaphor-for-integrity/
Integrity is doing the right thing when nobody else is looking. This is a definition that I learned throughout my career in the United States Air Force. Our first core value is "Integrity First". Integrity first means that being honest with yourself and other is the first step to subsequent values and standards. Without integrity, none of the other values or standards will hold.
Long before the Air Force, my parents taught me integrity. For example, my father once took money out of an ATM. After the ATM was done dispensing the money, my father realized he had been given more money than he had originally asked for. Instead of keeping the money, he chose to go inside the bank, explain what happened, and returned the money. I never forgot this occurrence and have tried to live up to this standard ever since.
An excellent illustration of integrity comes from blogger Harold Stone (n.d.), "Like the steel I-beam infrastructure of a skyscraper, a culture stands on its skeletal integrity of customs, mores’ and laws. The survivability of a skyscraper (or culture) is reliant on the integrity of both materials and the design. If the superstructure is free of material flaws and the workmanship free of defects, the building can withstand the forces of nature for centuries".
Next on my list of standards is resilience. Resilience is the ability to face adversity and overcome its effects. When a human being faces a hardship, that person's ability to overcome the hardship and put it behind them is what resilience ultimately entails. An example of resilience is a person who commits a crime and goes to prison. That person faces a choice. They can remain down on themselves and blame others for their mistake or face the situation "head on" and overcome their situation, get out of prison, and lead a new life free of crime; they maybe even strive to become a better person by going to school or helping others stay out of prison. Although a very simple analogy, resiliency can easily be illustrated by imagining a child learning to walk for the first time and falling down only to get up and try again.
My third standard is excellence. I define excellence as giving 110% effort in everything you do no matter the challenge or time constraints. Further, excellence is going above and beyond 100% to do the best job that can possibly be done. An example of excellence is staying at work past your scheduled work hours and ensuring a job is not only completed, but completed as well as it could possibly be. I personally feel as if I can illustrate this standard as I have stayed many times after work and worked on projects to make sure they were done with attention to detail and completeness. Excellence asks for an individual to not just get things done to get them done, but also paying attention to the task at hand with complete focus and 110% effort.
Last, but certainly not least, is the standard of kindness. This standard is very important to me and one that so many people take for granted. Kindness to me is treating others with respect and showing a deep consideration for their feelings. Kindness is another standard that holds an importance on the same level as integrity. Without them, there is no foundation in which you can live and exemplify other standards. They are pillars in the world of standards that help to properly add other "levels" of standards on top of them.
An example of kindness would be observing a complete stranger dropping something from their pocket. The reason that I specifically say "something" is to show that this something (whether it be a piece of paper, key chain, etc.) has no value to you as a person. You are not faced with having to make a moral decision (integrity) to return it to its owner because it has no value. You are returning this "something" out of pure kindness and love for a fellow human being. Without kindness, our world would be a very lonely and dark place.
Looking back on these standards has reminded me why I love them so much. They define me and I am proud to say that although I have not always been perfect in all of these standards, I try my best to execute them 110% (excellence exemplified). As mentioned before, these standards came to me mostly through my parents, but my approach to one of them specifically has changed over time.
Resiliency was a standard that never meant too much until about four years ago. Unfortunately, I was cited for a misdemeanor DUI while serving on active duty in the United States Air Force. This event was the toughest thing that I had to face both personally and professionally. It shook me to my core. I let my family, friends, and fellow Airmen down in a big way.
Instead of blaming others or getting down on myself, I decided to become better in every way that I could. I set extremely high standards for myself (excellence again, but on steroids this time as my mistake had hampered my confidence and reputation) and worked to reverse the effects of the DUI. I set out to earn my B.S. in Aeronautics, earn a private pilot's license (PPL), and get promoted to E-6. With resilience and a lot of perseverance, I completed all three in four years time. First the promotion, then the PPL and finally the degree.
In conclusion, people define and find importance in a wide spectrum of standards differently. Personal experiences help define these standards and give them a hierarchical meaning. As we progress through life, some standards may become more important than others due to a range of reasons including personal experiences, education, and a multitude of other reasons. I know that resiliency became more important for me over time, but it took 26 years of life to give it the importance that it deserved. Standards are what define us and ultimately dictate the type of lives we live, so think carefully about what standards you choose to keep close.
References
Stone, Harold (n.d.). A Skyscraper as a Metaphor For Integrity. Retrieved from
https://haroldstone.wordpress.com/integrity/a-skyscraper-as-a-metaphor-for-integrity/
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