I am made of many layers. Each layer represents my inner self and outer self…how I perceive myself and how others perceive me. What’s important to me may or may not be important to others. We all have a sense of what’s important to us – our own personal philosophy – what drives us. Do you have a personal philosophy that you live by? Of course you do. Do you know that your personal philosophy can define you personally and professionally?

Below is a list of “values” that may or may not be meaningful to you, but each one of them, strings together, makes up my personal philosophy. Each is a key attribute that guides my life, and I urge you to have some of these as well as others to guide you in your personal and professional life. This article is about you. Think in terms of “I”. Consider them your personal affirmation. Which ones of theses really resonate with you?

1. Confidence. Having a self-assured attitude and belief in my ability to succeed will keep me in the right path.
2. Luxury. An experience or a moment that is not just special but one-of-a-kind is worth pampering the self once in a while, as long as it doesn’t compromise my values.
3. Individuality. I value my individuality, regardless of my upbringing. I don’t let others control me and how I view myself.
4. Identity. My identity is the sum of my style, attitude, image, personal history, life aim, likes and dislikes. To know me is to know this sum.
5. Empowerment. Having the right to make my own choices and having the ability to act on them empowers me to do right.
6. Power. Having the ability to persuade, direct, or control is a special talent that I carefully choose to use as long as there’s the genuine intent to do good and the outcome is positive. I never see myself exerting power for my own selfishness or to destroy others. I don’t have the heart nor the desire to do so.
7. Pride. We all have pride. It is how I choose to shape me is what important. There’s nothing wrong having a feeling of self-respect and satisfaction that I get from achievements. If I let pride controls me by making me ignorant, obnoxious, or selfish, I’d lost my own self-respect. I take pride in all I’ve accomplished and realize how much I have yet to give.
8. Ambition. Having the desire, energy, and discipline to get where I want to go defines me and how I choose to live my life. It helps me prioritize my life and let me peek into my future and how it is being shaped by my past and present.
9. Performance. I want to live and do my best even if I encountered detours and roadblocks along the way. Experiences shape us. We learn from them and hopefully grow stronger and wiser. Sometimes we need products to have the latest technology and design that helps us do or be our best. Other times we need to be easy on ourselves. There’s no such thing as failure…
10. Style. I’d like to think that I have style. That is, an understanding of design, along with intuition about what is original, distinct, and hip. It’s a reflection on me…
11. Image. I like to project to the world through my choice of clothes, words, expressions, simple gestures, emotions, and body language. We all leave a mark as we navigate through life. Each moment of our lives, we make an impression, small or big, bad or good; and each day, we have a chance to leave an impression. All impressions will add up over time. It’s up to us to project the image that fits with our own sense of integrity.
12. Tradition. I value my traditions. They connect me to my culture and family. I can’t imagine my life without them nor do I want to. They are part of my cultural makeup. Sometimes, I am so richly empowered by cultural identity that paradoxically I just want to be “an ordinary girl” (or guy) who is not afraid to express her (or his) personal identity. The stories of my life and the universal traditions serve as a basic spiral thread of life.
13. Community. Being part of a group or a community that is bound together by location, shared beliefs, or common goals is important to me and my spiritual growth and well-being. I care.
14. Cool. I’m grateful to be able to demonstrate my own style, creativity, smarts and personality with flair and ease…
15. Freedom. I owe a lot of gratitude and respect to my parents and much sympathy and inspiration to those brave souls who made the heroic and courageous journey to freedom, and survived through perseverance, faith, trust, and whatever means necessary. As a result, I can seek maximum choice and the ability to set my own boundaries.
16. Hope. The right touches can give hope, show support, help cope, and lift spirits. Wit, wisdom, and just the right words are comforting for the real-life challenges I face today and those I will face tomorrow.
17. Success. I define success as a goal that I set for myself and have achieved or reached the mark. I also see “failures” as successes. Every “failure” is a stepping stone for me…
18. Sharing. If I can experience something or enjoy with others, then it’s so worthwhile. I realize that when I share my thoughts or ideas in any medium, I might invite cheap shots. When I talk or write about my feelings, opinions, and perspectives, I make myself vulnerable to the audience and the recipients. I don’t know how I can write or talk about my values and opinions honestly and openly without stripping off my clothes to expose the real me, the one that if you’re lucky enough, you get to see all of me, not just what’s on the surface.
19. Belonging. The desire to feel connected with people who share my interests or orientation – family, clubs, communities, companies, ideals, and causes is the greatest feeling!
20. Aspiration. I seek to reach for what I want in life. I aspire to be the best that I can.
21. Stability. Firm, secure, unwavering is how I would describe stability. I seek a steady foundation in a world of change.
22. Leading Edge. I like to seek out radical things, ideas, and experiences.
23. Innovation. I like to create ways to solve old problems in new ways. That’s why I see myself as an artist. I see life as a blank canvas that I can add to…
24. Fulfillment. When are we truly fulfilled? It’s when we have the satisfaction of realizing dreams for family, community, and the world.
25. Responsibility. I take responsibility or accountability for my actions or the actions of others. Otherwise, I’d lose myself.
26. Commitment. Pledging my energy and loyalty to something outside myself – a business, personal relationship, organization or cause gives me a personal satisfaction and an understanding of the meaning of selflessness.
27. Leadership. Some people are fortunate that they have the ability to lead others in a positive way to accomplish common goals. We all have in ourselves to lead by examples. We all can be both leaders and followers.
28. Savvy. My experience and intuition have given me the ability to see beyond the hype…
29. Dreams. I’m a dreamer. I live in my head. When I change my behaviors and how I view the world, my attitudes change. It can sometimes feel like I’m re-emerging and becoming the person I want to become. I have so many stories to write, to tell, and to share, but realistically, I have to start with one story or “one snippet” at a time.
30. Discovery. Pursuit of and interest in the unknown. Hunting for new ideas, sights, tastes, sounds, experiences, you name it… While uncovering some of my personal mysteries, I’m solving the greatest mystery of all – knowing myself. I’m carving out my inwardly driven life.

What values that make up your personal philosophy? I’d like to hear from you.