Another exercise prompt for college essay prep from my sibling’s English course. This time about core values in life...
The Prompt:
This is another brainstorming activity for your college admission essay. Below is a link to a list of “core values.” I want you to stat the journal by picking ten of them from the list that you feel best represent the values that you hold dear. Then I want you to make a second list and keep only five core values from your list of ten. Lastly, I want you to pick the one core value that you feel is most important to you.
The list:
List 1:
1. Creativity
2. Collaboration
3. Resourcefulness
4. Leadership
5. Wonder
6. Purpose
7. Balance
8. Self-Expression
9. Personal Development
10. Responsibility
List 2:
1. Creativity
2. Balance
3. Purpose
4. Resourcefulness
5. Personal Development
Top 1: Balance
Prompt (cont.)
Once you boil it down to one value then it is time to begin writing. Besides the lists, I want you to write two paragraphs for this journal. The first paragraph will be about why the core value you chose is so important to you or how you have demonstrated this core value in your life. The second paragraph will be about the future and how the core value that you chose will be necessary to achieve your future goals.
What are my core values? This is something that time and time again, I’ve revisited whether on purpose or not. The last few years, I’ve gone through a lot of scenarios and situations that took me out of bounds with my initial values. I’ve challenged them, overturned them, and sometimes throttled the heck out of them. My core values… believe it or not, are still shifting. Yes, I have things I believe in, and I will always have a few things that will stay strong and true for me, but these things aren’t set in stone.
And that’s a good thing.
Because life will literally throw an ice bucket full of situations and challenges that will overturn your expectations and predictions. It will rip apart the goals you’ve set for yourself and make you start all over from scratch.
Life is, for lack of better words, a bitch.
In all my experiences so far, I’ve learned a thing or two about managing those expectations and navigating the rough patches. Sometimes you just have to keep going. Sometimes things get better; other times… They don’t. But how you adapt and change according to those things will dictate how you will live your life.
In my short list, I chose Creativity, Purpose, Resourcefulness, Personal Development, and Balance as my top 5 because they are all things that have kept me going so far. My creativity will never cease; each day comes a new idea and a new way to tackle a problem. My purpose, though it may change, keeps me driven and hopeful. My resourcefulness allows me to look all the cards available and try to make the best of it. Personal development is one of the only things I can control and steer to improve myself in all things.
I believe Balance is the main core value for me because I have always found that when balance in my life is off, things tend to go wrong very quickly. Whether it’s in relationships, careers, or health, losing control of my center… has caused me grief, despair, and chaos.
For me, a balance in the mind, body and heart is important because it maintains and stabilizes all your other core values in life.
In the future, I have to continue trying to stay grounded and balanced as I move forward with trying different approaches to my careers, relationships, and art.
