I was dropping off sprogs in their scout and CCF (Combined Cadet Force) uniforms at school today to mark Remembrance Day. 🌸
The ride was a bit subdued as we talked about what this day meant, and the fallen soldiers who gave up their lives for what they believed in.
I have friends who are military vets on both sides of the pond who feel strongly about the values that is worth sacrificing for – but it feels lost in the noisy clutter of AI, and politics, and the stream of irrelevance that come across in the newsfeeds and on socials.
I think it is worth taking a moment to reflect and ask ourselves: “What values or ideals would I die for?”
With the advent of AI where fantasy can be portrayed as reality in order to warp our sense of what’s real and what’s not – this question becomes increasingly difficult to answer.
The world was much simpler in the past.
What hasn’t changed is this: to know that we matter.
This fundamental human need drives everything – how we show up, what we fight for, what we’re willing to sacrifice.
I believe that the soldiers we remember today knew they mattered.
They knew their actions mattered.
They made a choice that their values – freedom, protection of others, duty to something bigger than themselves – were worth the ultimate sacrifice.
In our daily work, we might not face life-or-death decisions.
But we face choices that test our integrity every single day:
🍩Do we take the shortcut that compromises quality, or do the work right even when no one’s watching?
🍩Do we speak up when something’s wrong, or stay silent because it’s easier?
🍩Do we show up authentically, or perform a version of ourselves that feels safer?
My core values haven’t changed: Respect. Integrity. Team spirit.
Are my words, thoughts, and deeds aligned?
Am I showing up in a way that honours what truly matters?
Am I contributing something that makes the world a bit better, even if just for the people directly in my little world?
Because the thing is: If we don’t know what we stand for when everything is comfortable, we’ll have no foundation when things get hard.
The noise isn’t going away.
AI, politics, social media – it’s all getting louder.
But that’s exactly why we need to get clear about our core values.
What are you willing to stand for, even when it costs you something?
That’s the question worth sitting with today.
