Belief Statements with Self-Reflection
Welcome to our second blog, featuring Reaching Higher’s belief statements. So you may be wondering: are belief statements really needed in addition to our Vision, Mission and Core Values? Our response: a resounding YES! Let us share with you our why.
In our first blog, we discussed Reaching Higher’s Guiding Stars, which are comprised of our Core Values, Vision and Mission. These Core Values outline what we believe about ALL individuals, while our Vision and Mission communicate our desired impact on both the individual and the world. However, these statements alone don’t tell you ANYTHING about our beliefs regarding leadership.
Our Belief Statements act as a window – providing a view of both our fundamental beliefs and passion for leadership as Reaching Higher. Think of these Belief Statements this way: our “Guiding Stars” are like an endurance race car participating in a cross-country race, but our Belief Statements represent what’s in our tank; they are what fuels us!
When you couple these Belief Statements with our Guiding Stars, you see why we exist. Together, they form a cause – a cause to make a positive impact in lives, communities, and subsequently, the world!
Belief Statements
-
We believe the Answer lies within You/Us to reach one’s potential.
-
We believe Leadership isn’t a formula or title, but are foundational principles which to build one’s life off of.
-
We believe “Simple” can be very Powerful and shouldn’t be confused with Easy.
-
We believe our Future can be positively impacted by reaching Youth with Personal Leadership Development.
-
We believe our World can be positively impacted by reaching everyone with personal leadership development.
-
We believe leadership principles are time-tested truths still applicable today.
-
We believe leadership principles are applicable for all ages and demographics.
-
We believe to inspire others, one must be authentic to and lead… themselves.
-
We believe vulnerability is a leadership principle as it requires strength and courage.
-
We believe leaders “lead” their lives by thinking critically for themselves versus being led or swayed through life by the “majority or crowd.”
Our upcoming blogs will unpack each of our beliefs, just as we did in the first blog, where we shared the meaning behind “the answer lies within you.” As we share our beliefs about leadership, we encourage YOU to reflect on that leadership belief, including assessing how well you apply that belief in your own life. How often do you reflect and search for “the answer lying within you?”
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” - Aristotle
Many are aware that Ben Franklin lived by 13 Virtues – but did you know he reflected on his virtues at the end of the day, charting whether he was successful in living it out? What if his daily habit of self-reflection on these virtues was the difference in propelling Ben Franklin to becoming one of the most respected and influential individuals in the world in the 1700s?
Have you ever found yourself disappointed with how well you were living out your personal values and beliefs? I sure have! This disappointment was always something nagging at me in my life. However, at the start of 2022, I purchased a journal for myself and our Reaching Higher team where I began incorporating self-reflection into my life, not perfectly, but routinely – daily, monthly and quarterly.
While I still have a long way to go to being the person I desire to be, through the practice of reflection I’ve experienced more personal growth in what I value than I ever experienced before. Interestingly enough, I also made another discovery on this journey in 2022: without self-reflection, I CANNOT discover that answer which lies within me to unlock my potential (Blog #1). Can you?