Values

Have you ever thought about what values matter to you? Maybe you value a community where people can enjoy clean, safe open spaces to walk through or play in. Or, maybe you value the rights of all people to live in peace and without fear. Knowing what you value helps shape your identity, informs how you communicate, and guides how you cooperate with others. These are important traits to nurture as our communities and world become increasingly diverse in people, languages, and cultures.

Arthur Ashe was known for his unwavering moral compass and deep sense of responsibility. Even when those values were unpopular, Arthur held tightly to them. In 1973, after previous attempts had ended in denial, Arthur received a travel visa and was offered the opportunity to play in the South African Open. Black American political groups were against it. They thought that having Arthur go to South Africa would make the apartheid (South African system of racial segregation) government seem “reasonable” and “humane.” Arthur went to South Africa with all of this in mind and stayed true to his moral compass and sense of responsibility for civil rights. While in South Africa, he met up with opposition to his presence from some people in the local black community. According to Arthur, “Power, power! some of the people said, and shame, shame!... One man muttered ‘Uncle Tom’ at me, … You come here, our people play in a tournament once, and the situation remains unchanged. The black man still has his place – cleaning toilets. You stay away, all of you. All right, Arthur?” (Portrait in Motion, p.126-27) But Arthur knew that using his platform as a world-renowned free Black tennis player to beat White South Africans on the tennis court would offer hope to Black South Africans. One of the demands Arthur made for playing there was that the audience be integrated. He said he did not want to play for an all-white crowd, or one that separated Blacks and Whites. Arthur would say later, “There is a concept in economics called comparative advantage, when two nations will trade with each other if they both believe they can gain. Now, I know the (South African) government is using me, but I’m using it, too.” (Los Angeles Times, 2/7/93, Ignore the Glasses and Thin Body: This Man Was Tough).

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Learning and Leadership Activities

People I Admire

What are some other examples of values? Create a list (see a sample list below) in your notebook or journal. 

Next, think of people you admire and respect. What do you appreciate about them? Discuss your responses with others in the group. 

Fold a piece of paper into 3 columns. At the top of the paper, write People I Admire and Why. 

In the first column, write the names of the people you admire and respect. 

In the middle column, describe a particular reason that you admire each person. For example, if you wrote that you admire your grandfather, you might write in the middle column next to his name, “I admire and respect him because he faced a lot of challenges so that we could have a better future.”

In the last column, identify the value behind the reason stated. With the example of your grandfather and his choice to endure challenges for the benefit of his family, you might write down the values of “persistence, resilience, or altruism.” Go back to the values you listed before this activity if you need help thinking of some. 

Continue to do this for those you have named in the first column. When you finish, reflect on the values you identified and create your own personal values statement. You can use the following template to help you:

I think that ____________is very important issue because_____________________.   I hope to ___________________ whenever___________________ so that I can express/apply my value of__________.

Create as many value statements as you wish. Write them on sticky notes and put them on your mirror so you see them every morning. Put them as a reminder on your phone. Place them on index cards you can slip in your wallet/purse, and revisit them throughout the day. Change them as you reflect on their impact on your life.

Sample Values List:

  • Acceptance

  • Dependability

  • Integrity

  • Simplicity

  • Altruism

  • Determination

  • Kindness

  • Strength

  • Assertiveness

  • Family

  • Love

  • Success

  • Authenticity

  • Flexibility

  • Loyalty

  • Tolerance

  • Balance

  • Freedom

  • Passion

  • Trust

  • Beauty

  • Generosity

  • Persuasiveness

  • Uniqueness

  • Change

  • Gratitude

  • Progress

  • Well-Being

  • Clarity

  • Growth

  • Resilience

  • Creativity

  • Community

  • Honesty

  • Safety

  • Inspiration

  • Compassion

  • Independence

  • Self-Awareness

  • Self-Respect

  • Conviction

  • Innovation

  • Self-Discipline

  • Truth

Values Identity Map

Draw a “map” connecting your values to your life experiences, personal strengths, and goals. Think about events during which your values guided your judgment and actions, and even some that did not. Your “map” might show experiences over time (like a timeline) or over places where you have been. Your“map” might show you at the center, with roads leading to different experiences, personal strengths, or goals, and include signposts or road markers that identify the values guiding your path.  

Share your Values Identity map with others. Participate in a discussion that could include these prompts:

  • Which core value showed up most clearly on your map? Why is it important to you?

  • Where do you think this value came from – family, personal experience, culture, school, church, or something else?

  • What did you learn about incidents where you were not true to your values? What impact did that have?

  • How do you ensure that your values show up in your everyday actions or decisions?

Write a Letter

Write a letter to someone who has helped you to develop the values that you hold in your life. Maybe someone who was a role model for you and encouraged you to take on a value that you admired in that person. Think about the teachers in your life – from school, church, sports, clubs, family – who have nurtured the values that serve you well. You might even write to someone you have never met before. Someone whom you have admired for the way they conduct themselves, serve the community, help others, fight for justice, break through barriers, etc. After you write your letter, be sure to deliver or send it so this person knows the impact they have had on your life.