We are in the midst of a series that combines the areas of sports, business, Christian faith, and relationship principles—and the commonalities that converge from these diverse areas. I’ve personally experienced the profound impact of these areas on my own life. Through these recent posts, I’ve aimed to shed light on how principles from sports, business, Christian faith, and relationships intersect—believing that this exploration can similarly impact your life in meaningful ways. In my previous post, we looked at how effective Leadership principles could be drawn from these four areas. Today, we are going to delve into values. More specifically, we’ll explore the values that are underpinning success in sports, business, Christian teachings and personal relationships.
Values Definition
Values refers to the principles, beliefs, and standards that guide our individual behaviors, choices, and attitudes. They represent what is important, desirable, and worthy of pursuit in life, influencing our decision-making and shaping our character.
Our goal through this series is to create our intentional blueprint or playbook. This series is for the Christian woman who is open to refocus her life and create a playbook for the next 25 years of her life. I encourage you to get out that journal. If you’re new to my posts, I’m a huge journal person. I feel when we write, our brain takes on a different job. It’s not just in observation mode, it puts us in a learning mode. I don’t know about you, but if I hear something that resonates with me and I don’t write it down, I flat don’t remember. I really encourage you to journal about the ideas I’m sharing with you. This is your own personal project and I’m glad you’re here!
Sports
The three values that stand out to me are: discipline, teamwork and perseverance.
Tim Tebow, a former professional football player who was known for his strong Christian faith and values, recently said: “I think the greatest way to use the platform of football is to honor the Lord in everything that we do, and I think it’s to be a good example to others.” He exemplifies the values of faith, integrity, and service.
Simone Biles, a decorated gymnast known for her Christian faith, said: “God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.” An example of her attitude and value of perseverance!
I believe we can agree that discipline, teamwork, and perseverance are universal principles essential for success. Discipline fosters focus and commitment, teamwork promotes collaboration and unity, while perseverance empowers us as individuals to overcome obstacles and pursue our goals relentlessly.
For me personally, this takes me back to a life-changing moment. I shared a few posts ago, I have played sports since I was a kid. When I was 8th grade, I played on the “B” team in basketball. Our season has come to an end. There were two extra jerseys available on the “A” team. The coach called me and one other girl from the “B” team over to the bleachers when practice was over. I’ll never forget that moment when he said: “Monette, you have been so determined this season, your commitment to teamwork, your fight and perseverance has not gone unnoticed. You can dress out with the Varsity during District, Regionals and State playoffs. I’ll never forget that feeling of accomplishment. This was a life-changing moment for this 14-year-old girl. I have never forgotten that moment. I’m telling you this because of what that did. It reinforced in me, even though I wasn’t the most talented or coordinated or gifted athlete, what could be possible if you never give up and that hard work and effort pay off.
These values, discipline, teamwork, and perseverance go way beyond sports, shaping our personal, our professional, and our spiritual journeys, guiding us towards achievement, fulfillment, and growth.
Business
These three key business values: integrity, innovation, and collaboration, stand out to me.
Here’s an imaginary picture of what I think is an ideal entrepreneur. Let’s call her Sarah. Her core values of integrity, innovation, and collaboration define her approach to business and life. With integrity as her guiding principle, Sarah operates with honesty, transparency, and does the right thing in all her dealings—which builds trust and credibility with clients, partners, and employees. Innovation drives Sarah’s relentless pursuit of creative solutions and forward-thinking strategies, allowing her to adapt to changing market dynamics and stay ahead of the curve. However, it is Sarah’s commitment to collaboration that truly sets her apart. Believing in the power of teamwork and collective ideas, she fosters a culture of cooperation and shared success within her company—empowering team members to contribute their unique talents and perspectives towards achieving common goals. Through her unwavering commitment to integrity, innovation, and collaboration, Sarah not only leads her business to success but also inspires those around her to strive for excellence and make a positive impact in their relevant areas.
Let’s pull some values from this scenario:
- Integrity as her guiding principle,
- Innovation driving her approach,
- Commitment to collaboration and
- Leading by example
Christianity
Now, let’s pull values from Christianity, I gave you my personal story of faith a few posts ago. Here are some values that are important to me along with the coinciding scriptures. The Bible addresses the original values. And the values we are pulling from Sports, Business and Relationships all originate from Christian values.
Love and Compassion
Showing empathy and kindness fosters harmony, reflecting Christ’s command to love others. This scripture is read at a lot of weddings but I feel addresses all areas of life. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Integrity and Honesty
Upholding honesty builds trust, forming the foundation for genuine connections and long-term success. Proverbs 11:3 (KJV) reads: “The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.”
Humility and Servanthood
Practicing humility and teamwork cultivates respect and cooperation, contributing to personal growth and shared achievements. Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Embracing forgiveness restores unity and harmony, facilitating growth and resilience in all interactions. Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Gratitude and Contentment
Cultivating gratitude in challenges fosters resilience and satisfaction—enabling perseverance and fulfilling relationships. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Drawing upon the values of Christianity, we can craft a powerful blueprint for life. Love, forgiveness, and compassion serve as our foundational pillars, guiding our interactions not only with ourselves but with others. Embracing humility cultivates growth and empathy, while our faith offers strength in times of adversity and uncertainty. Integrity and honesty pave the path towards our authenticity and trustworthiness, building our meaningful connections. Through service to others, we find purpose and fulfillment, echoing the teachings of selflessness taught to us by Jesus Christ’s example. By taking on these values, we can navigate life’s challenges with grace, contributing to this world by kindness, understanding, and grace.
Relationships
In our relationships the values of communication, trust, and mutual respect are vital. We desire authentic connections where we feel heard and valued through open communication. Trustworthiness and reliability from our friends, our intimate relationships, and our peers provides support during challenging times. Additionally, we seek relationships where our unique thoughts are respected, opinions honored, and differences embraced. Ultimately, we aim to foster intimate relationships and friendships grounded in understanding and unwavering loyalty, navigating life’s ups and downs together.
The three values again are communication, trust, and mutual respect!
Takeaways
We explored the foundational values across sports, business, Christianity, and relationships, aiming to create our intentional blueprint for success. In sports, discipline, teamwork, and perseverance reign supreme—driving us to achieve our goals relentlessly. Business thrives on integrity, innovation, and collaboration—where leaders like Sarah lead with honesty, creativity, and a commitment to teamwork. Christianity offers us timeless values of love, integrity, humility, forgiveness, and gratitude—providing us our moral compass for navigating life’s complexities. Our relationships flourish with communication, trust, and mutual respect—fostering genuine connections and creating unwavering support. By integrating these values into our lives, we cultivate resilience, fulfillment, and meaningful relationships, shaping our journey towards success and personal growth.
Next, as we continue this series, we’ll look at “Team Dynamics: Bridging the Gaps”—the intricacies of teamwork and how effective communication, mutual understanding, and shared goals foster synergy within sports teams, businesses, Christian communities, and personal relationships. By uncovering many of the parallels between these seemingly different areas, we’ll see key strategies for enhancing teamwork and bridging gaps between different areas of life and create another chapter for our successful blueprint/playbook.
Monette hosts a weekly podcast: Mornings with Monette. She has been a lifelong learner and and appreciates the opportunity to share what she has learned–both through her podcast and here at The Best-Life Project (based on the content of her weekly podcast). Her messages are raw, honest and straight from the heart. She lives in Albuquerque, NM with her husband Leland. They have three adult children and are enjoying living their best lives filled with travel and adventure.
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