Enduring Values

Enduring Values

In life, I have had the opportunity to learn from many different sources. To acquire knowledge and wisdom that has carried me throughout many of life's twists and turns. Most of those lessons or values begin at home and follow us throughout our lives. Some of these lesson come in the form of formal education. Others are developed throughout our life-times based upon our experiences, career choices, relationships, etc. Still others, come from identifying with a group of people or ideas. Yet, with every single twist and turn that life has given me, I have not forgotten, and still strive to live by, the enduring values that I learned long ago as a Boy Scout.

My hope in writing this is to expand my own reflection on these values and life-lessons. If you have never been involved in Scouting, then I encourage you to continue reading as you may derive from this article something worth reading. If you have been involved in Scouting, I too, encourage you to keep reading, and you know why. This article is for everyone.

The lessons I learned have carried me through the best and worst of times. Everyday is a new commitment to those lessons that I encountered and strive to live toward those very lessons and values that were instilled in me long-ago. The Scout Oath, Law, Motto and Slogan.

The Scout Oath

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

The Scout Oath is the preamble to the scout. It is the declaration of all that he/she stands for and that the solemn promise in stating it, binds the scout to a greater purpose. It is the statement, which not only sets the course or maps out the journey but also delineates the reason why the individual began the journey in the first place. The Scout Oath is the resolute constitution upon which all other scouting values are founded.

It is the solemn promise, the word of and by the individual which that person gives affirming that they would do everything, everything in their power and control to hold steadfast purpose to those values. The values outlined are not only what the scout is all about, but also give the scout a sense of identity and belonging to something which is greater than he or she may be. It is a solemn and resolute charge given not only the identify one's self, but also the realization that one is a part of a greater whole: a community, a state, a nation, a world. Furthermore, it is the understanding that we are not only responsible to ourselves, but we are held accountable to all we encounter in life.

However, in order for that accountability to take place, we first have the responsibility and task to ensure that we arrive at a place whereby we can truly say that we are prepared for the task ahead. We have the responsibility to ourselves and to our brethren to truly take pride in who we are, what we do and in that in which we ourselves believe. This responsibility is not taken lightly and is one which must be renewed and rekindled in every which way throughout the course of not only the scout's journey, but our entire lives.

The Scout Law

A Scout is:
Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful,
Friendly, Courteous, Kind,
Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty,
Brave, Clean, Reverent.

The twelve points of the Scout Law teach us that being a scout is an awesome responsibility which carries with it an inherent value or ethical system. It is a call that requires a response. Much like the calling to a career or vocation, the call to Scouting is ultimately a call to be a better person, and it requires a daily and renewed response. The Scout Law is a guide that can be applied to every situation in daily living, a road-map that helps us find our way through the twists and turns of life.

Trustworthy--Without trust one cannot navigate through life. Trust is earned; trust cannot be bought. It is not a right, but a privilege. It is what some say, "the hardest thing in life to achieve, and the easiest thing to lose." Be true to yourself and trust in you will follow.

Loyal--Without loyalty one has no code, no honor, no sense of belonging. Loyalty helps you to remain faithful to that in which you believe. Loyalty also helps you to identify your boundaries and own limits, be it with people, situations, things, or self. Loyalty says that you truly stand for something, something which is, often times, bigger than you are.

Helpful--If there's something that needs to be done, go do it...get it done. Don't wait for someone else to do it or the opportunity to pass you by. Get in there and assist your fellow human being. Where there's a need, fulfill it. There's no greater reward in the world than knowing that you've made a difference, even in the slightest of ways, especially by helping someone else.

Friendly--In life there are friends and there are acquaintances. However, approach each one with a friendly attitude and nature. The more you approach people in that manner, the more likely they are willing and able to approach you. In turn, the more you'll get them to be motivated to do and go out of their way for you. But be cautious, don't take people's generous and friendly to lightly because just as in trust, can be easily lost.

Courteous--Manners and politeness go a long way. So too, does chivalry.

Kind--Look with kindred upon all you encounter. Benevolence, treating others the way you want to be treated.

Obedient--Follow your inner voice, you center, your soul. Obedience to self leads to obedience of those who have lived before us or are in positions of authority over us. Obedience binds us to a common purpose, to work together toward a common goal. In order to lead, one must first learn to follow. Even the leader has to be obedient to the cause they are following and the people they are leading.

Cheerful--Approach every moment of life with cheer. Find joy in everything you do. They say that laughter and a smile can cure anything, including the soul. No one enjoys a grouch.

Thrifty--Plan ahead, but be mindful of life's turns. In this day and age, especially of so much uncertainty, don't be so quick and expedient to give up everything for which you've worked so hard. Pay yourself first. Put aside for the future. Build that nest egg that will carry you to your future and be responsible for your present.

Brave--The realization that you've embarked upon a journey or project or task maybe a daunting one, especially new ones. Bravery is not something out of myths, legends and only used in heroic moments. It takes a brave person to confront and encounter this daily world we live it. Stand tall, stand proud, for the mark of a true leader is embedded in the bravery of the everyday and simple moments of life.

Clean--From a clean-cut demeanor and appearance to being organized, pride is truly derived from taking an interest in one's self. Clean goes beyond just actually cleaning, but also goes to the way you carry yourself, from appearance to language. from thought to action.

Reverent--There is a sense of something more. Be it God or a belief in a higher power, we are called to hold true to our beliefs and be steadfast about them. In other words, truly honor your belief in a God or that higher power and not pick and choose as is convenient. Reverence means that you practice what you yourself preach.

Scout Motto

Be Prepared!

Life has proven to have many eventualities. Sometimes things or situations arise out of the spur of the moment that require us to take immediate action. This precept of scouting teaches that no matter what the situation before you, Be Prepared!

From taking a class to educate or train yourself, to having the right tools and equipment to do the job, to developing a plan of action, if one is not prepared, one will fail. As the dictum states: "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

In life we see the same movement. When we are young we go to school, we educate and train for the rest of our lives. Then we go to college or workforce where we fine-tune the skills and education that will nurture our careers. However, without such a preparation we are unable to jump head-first into a career or job skill that requires training. If that weren't enough, we also continually re-train, re-certify, perform on-the-job skills training that help us to continually hone our skills and refresh those that may have gone by the wayside. The same is true of the those that find themselves in an emergency situation. All their training, ability and skill allows them to develop a quick (sometimes in a matter of seconds) plan of action that will allow them to save the life of someone else. Nevertheless, the plan cannot be developed without first being prepared.

This precept reminds us of the Scout Oath where it says, "...to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight." In other words, it charges us with the task and responsibility to be prepared at all times in all areas of our lives for any and every situation which may arise. From being physically strong to perform the tasks before us by exercising and eating right. To staying mentally awake by continually educating and training ourselves and not allowing ourselves to become stagnant in one thought. To staying morally awake be it in the way we carry ourselves throughout society or developing our own morals or code of ethics, or even in the way we pursue our spiritual lives and encounter God.

Scout Slogan

Do a Good Turn Daily.

Everyday life gives you is a new opportunity to do good and reach out to someone else. I am reminded of the concept of Paying it Forward when I think of this value; giving to another that which has been given to you. It is in giving that we receive. It is a call to action. A call to not just sit down an revel in your own accomplishments, but realize that there is a greater responsibility to yourself, your community, your country and ultimately, God.

However, this value goes is much more profound than just giving to another. It requires that the person giving take into account the situation or circumstance of the other before giving. In other words, it calls the person giving to truly come to an understanding of the other person prior to giving. Anyone can give a dollar to a homeless person on a street. What is the value of giving that dollar to that homeless person, if you don't appreciate firstly, the value that it took to get that dollar; secondly, the fact that the person giving that dollar may not be homeless; and thirdly, the implications thereof. Or in another example, the classic image of the Boy Scout helping the elder lady cross the street--this was how boy scouts were portrayed for a long time. But if the scout's motives were to get rewarded after he assisted the lady cross the street, then he did not do a good turn, but rather sought the reward.

Doing a Good Turn Daily requires that things are done not out of getting a sense of accomplishment or reward, but rather, because there's a true sense of meaning and understanding behind them, sometimes which may stay with you throughout a lifetime. Doing A Good Turn Daily reminds us that we are not alone and we are responsible to society as a whole. We are charged with a greater and awesome responsibility to assist those in their time of need. However small and insignificant it may seem, doing a Good Turn Daily, allows to to answer that call to that responsibility. In turn, we are rewarded with the sense of accomplishment, understanding, meaning, and self-worth.

The values and lessons I learned as a scout, and eventually as an Eagle Scout, have nurtured my life and transformed it in such a way that has allowed me to overcome many of the hurdles life has to give. Life has become transformed into such a grand journey and adventure in trying to live out these values on a daily living.

FULL OF WISDOM

“The self-confidence of the warrior is not the self-confidence of the average man. The average man seeks certainty in the eyes of the onlooker and calls that self-confidence. The warrior seeks impeccability in his own eyes and calls that humbleness. The average man is hooked to his fellow men, while the warrior is hooked only to infinity. To be a warrior is not a simple matter of wishing to be one. It is rather an endless struggle that will go on to the very last moment of our lives. Nobody is born a warrior, in exactly the same way that nobody is born an average man. We make ourselves into one or the other.”-- Carlos Castaneda

Disclaimer: These blogs are all original works are resulting from of inspiration, many years of study, contemplation and personal reflection, prayer, life experiences, and encounters with others (be they personal or professional encounters). Please feel free to use the material as needed, but give credit accordingly. Who knows when or where these works might turn out. Plagiarism is a true crime. Also feel free to let me know what you think and how I am doing. Thanks. Full of Wisdom.