Random reflections and moments throughout my life have manifested several mottos that I live by. Unsurprisingly, they meld quite well with my core values.

• You have to dig the dirt to build the hills you’re willing to die on.

  I love to have things to be passionate about, and I love to witness people finding the hills they’re willing to die on. Most of the time, having opinions is meaningless unless you’re willing to act in the spirit of your convictions. Sometimes (usually) that takes hard work. I believe everyone should identify the hills they’re willing to die on, grab a shovel, and start digging.

• What if everybody did that?

  When I was a kid, I was walking with my family in some city (D.C., maybe?) and took a shortcut over a railing and through some landscaping. My dad chastised me a bit. I argued no harm, no foul; I didn’t step on any plants or anything, and it was quicker! He asked me, “And what if everybody did that?”. His point was that if everyone did that, there would eventually be some destruction. It’s a selfish act to take a shortcut for your own gain, when plenty of people either don’t take the shortcut or don’t know that it was even an option. Selfish shortcuts add up, and the costs often add up more for other people or systems than for ourselves.

  So, when I’m struggling with the morality of my future actions, I ask myself if the world would be better off if everyone did whatever I’m thinking about doing. If yes, proceed. If no, don’t.

• No pressure, no diamonds.

  Heat and pressure create diamonds. I welcome a little bit of heat (but not beyond my melting point) and embrace pressure because of the growth and shine they can yield.

• Don’t be a line.

  I believe that people are better off when they invest their time and hearts in multiple things. I’ve found that being one- or two-dimensional - especially among leaders - makes for inflexible thinking and restricted norms (and, in some cases, blinded ego). Multidimensional people bring unique identities, creativity, and ideas to their various communities and workplaces. In my experience, they also seem to recognize the size of the world and their place in it a bit better than people who choose to be lines.

• Make time. Center service. Be excellent. Express gratitude. Make yourself proud.

  Time is a finite resource, and maybe the only one that we can’t always predict how much of it we’ll have. I’ve always wanted to maximize my time (which could easily be more limited than I plan for!), so I often remind myself to make time. It’s really easy to convince ourselves we’re too busy to do certain things. I make time by being honest about my priorities and doing whatever feels right.

  Acts of service fill up my cup; so, when in doubt about priorities, I center service.

  In doing anything, I want to strive to be excellent; if I’m going to make time, I might as well be as excellent as I can be (even if this isn’t really excellent at all).

  I want to take time to remind people and communities that I’m grateful for them (their actions, their emotional energy, their time, etc.).

  At the end of the day, I want to be able to scrutinize how I used my time and be proud.

• Everything works out.

  Lots of moments in my life have been quite chaotic and uncertain. But, whenever it seems like it won’t, I remind myself that everything always works out.

For each of these mottos, here are some questions I am often asking myself and others around me:

• Where did value this come from?

• What is an example?

• Who do I expect it of?

• In what contexts is it most relevant?

• What is the cost? (i.e., what kinds of capital does it take?)