It is important for an individual to have values. Personal values are the ideals that guide an individual in how they live their life (Barrett Values Center). They express an individual’s motivations and what is most important to them. Values influence an individual’s words, thoughts, beliefs, actions, and decisions in various aspects of their life, including personal, family, social, academic, and career aspects. Most importantly, values define one’s character, and can be a source of gratification. As a person, my three most important values are integrity, humanity, and firmness. Integrity means honesty, incorruptibility, and moral uprightness. It is one of the values I strive to portray in every aspect of my life. I strongly believe integrity is something everyone should have. Having integrity means your actions, deeds, and words are consistent with the relevant ethical, moral, and legal standards. It simply means doing the right thing all the time – a character that many people lack. A person of integrity is selfless, has the best interests of others at heart, and demonstrates fairness. With such a character, it is easy to gain the trust of other people.

Humanity is also a value I hold dear in my life. It encompasses several traits, including kindness, compassion, empathy, gentleness, benevolence, leniency, tolerance, generosity, and magnanimity. For me, humanity is one of the greatest values every person should have. It is vital for every human being...

Being humane means one is committed to or has a passion for contributing to the happiness of others and making an impact in their world. Humanity is about reaching out to the less fortunate – the poor, the homeless, the disabled, people struggling with additions, and so forth. It is about committing actions that impact on others positively. A sense of humanity is what drives billionaires like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and Mark Zuckerberg to donate huge sums of money to charity. Nonetheless, this does not necessarily mean that humanity is all about being rich or wealthy. Indeed, people can make a difference in other people’s lives with the little resources they have at their disposal.
Firmness means stability. It means hardness, steadiness, determination, decisiveness, and/or confidence. I value firmness because a firm person is a person you can rely or depend on. A firm person will always stick to their words. He or she will not say something and budge away the next minute. A firm person is not hypocritical. Also, a firm person is not shaken by pressure or difficult circumstances. A firm person remains committed to their goals and priorities in spite of temptations or other situations that may distract one’s focus. That is the kind of person I am – a value I believe is one of my greatest strengths. Even when there is the enticement to consider shortcuts or move with the crowd, I always remain firmly committed to my words…