"How do you know whether a value is good?"

A thought by John C. Maxwell & Rob Hoskins in their book, Change Your World (p. 114). HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

That is another good question.

John answers it by saying, "There’s one standard that it must meet. It must value people—all people, all of the time, in all situations. No shortcuts, no rationalizations, no exceptions. If the value values people, then it is positive and worth embracing. If it devalues people in any way, it’s not a good value. Good values always align with the golden rule. As Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity, said, 'For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other.' Good values are the foundation of that community. They are inclusive, not excluding anyone. They draw people together despite differences in race, ethnicity, religion, or political views."

John later says, "There are few things in life more important than valuing people. In fact, this standard of valuing people is the cornerstone of my organizations. I stress it to my staff. I insist on it in my leaders. When I train new members of the John Maxwell Team to become certified as coaches and speakers, I emphasize it. I tell them, 'We are people of value who value others and add value to them. Everything we do must live up to this standard.'"

He continues, "In his book Awaken the Leader Within, Bill Perkins described the differences between practices, principles, and values:

    "A practice is an activity or action that may work in one situation but not necessarily in another. Unlike a practice, a value applies to every situation.

    Values are also different from principles. A principle is an external truth that is as reliable as a physical law such as the law of gravity. When Solomon said, 'A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger, he stated a principle that is both universal and timeless. . . . 

    While we may acknowledge the reliability of many principles, we only internalize those we deem important. When that happens, the principle has become a value that serves as the internal map we use to direct our lives. A value, then, is an internalized principle that guides our decision."

And people need to be at the top of your value list. Yes, yes, #continuethought