COURAGEOUS - Being courageous means we are risk takers, willing to step out of our comfort zone and face our fears and doubts, and still move towards what we believe in, ultimately inspiring ourselves and others who work with us. Being courageous also means fearlessly examining ourselves and being honest in our relationships with others. We need to be courageous to live the life that is true to our authentic selves, and not a life conforming to the expectations of others.
OPEN - The beginner's mind is an open mind, free from preconceived notions and ready to receive all the possibilities of what comes next, truly ready to learn and grow. To have an open mind, we must learn to pause and be fully present in the moment. To be open, we must be able to let go of negative past experiences, thoughts, and emotions, and be ready to experience and become something new and unexpected.
COMPASSIONATE - Compassion allows us to be understanding, forgiving, empathetic, accepting, and respectful towards ourselves and others. Being compassionate will guide us to contribute to others and to understand our interconnectedness with others in our community and globally, resulting in happier and more fulfilled lives.
RESILIENT - To succeed at anything or overcome any adversity in our lives, we need to have resilience SO we will be able to effectively handle any challenges and uncertainty in our lives. Passionate perseverance (or grit) can help us realize our dreams and overcome all obstacles. With resiliency, the cycle of success and failure is celebrated as a healthy part of growth and learning.
ETHICAL - Being ethical means that we will be able to develop our own intrinsic sense of right from wrong and practice values such as fairness, equality, honesty, authenticity, loyalty and virtue. If we are ethical, we are able to make the right decisions for the greater good in the face of difficulty. Demonstrating an understanding and belief in inclusivity and celebrating diversity in our community helps us to foster ethical beliefs.
ADAPTABLE - Being flexible allows us to adapt ourselves when change happens. It will help us to keep a flexible mindset and be prepared when we need to accommodate, compromise, or change our perspective if the situation calls for it. This willingness to embrace diverse perspectives will develop inclusive practices throughout our lives. When we are adaptable, we show that we can break unhealthy reactive patterns and learn to respond to situations in new more constructive ways.
THANKFUL - To be thankful and feel appreciative for all we have will allow us to be happy and maintain our overall life satisfaction and will lead to more balance in our lives as we regularly show gratitude for all aspects of our lives.
OPTIMISTIC - To be optimistic is to see life through a positive and growth mindset where challenges and adversities are viewed as learning opportunities instead of setbacks or failures. Being optimistic leads to a positive problem-solving mindset when working with others in a group as well.
RESPECTFUL - To be respectful is to show reverence for all persons, things, communities, environment and life itself. Being respectful will allow us to accept and appreciate the way things are and will also keep us humble, appreciative, and inclusive of everyone and everything around us.
SELF-AWARE - To be self-aware we must cultivate the ability to be aware and mindful of our own true thoughts, motivations, and behaviors. We need to become self-aware before we can realize what we are doing well and how we need to grow. Recognizing and being attentive to our own feelings and needs will help each of us to maintain healthy relationships and balance in our own lives and requires mindfulness and authenticity.