What Do I Value? (a discussion of my mission and modus operandi)

Hey hi hello! 

In our last colloquium class, we discussed values. (What does that mean? Do values shape our everyday lives? If so, which ones?) 

As a cohort, we came up with a list of about 20 values. Then Professor Hedden asked us to narrow it down to 8 that were most important to us...then just 5...then ONLY 2.  Anyone sitting around me could likely hear my heavy breathing and stress-induced mumbling that was a product of these requests. Perhaps it's apparent by now, but I'm quite an idealist (although yes, I study politics, so some of my dreams of a good world have been crushed).  I'm fiercely loyal to a wide range of values and felt like I was betraying myself a little when I had to mark out things like honesty, peace, and friendship. 

Before you decide to quit reading because I may be a lying, conflict-hungry, bad friend, LET ME EXPLAIN. 

  

The Process went as follows: 

 

Honesty                   Happiness                Family 

Loyalty                    Justice                      Love

Knowledge              Faith                         Integrity 

Respect                    Kindness                  Success

Ambition                 Independence           Equality 

Compassion             Freedom                   Peace 

Open-mindedness    Friendship                Power

The Top 5:

Knowledge              Faith 

Compassion             Freedom

Happiness                Family 

Justice                      Love 

The Final 2: 

Knowledge 

Happiness

Justice 

Faith 

Love 

So there you have it. I am left with Justice and Love.  

I believe this choice is best explained by something called modus operandi, which is Latin for "method of operations". If you've seen any legal shows, you may have heard this term in reference 

to the habits of a criminal, but it applies generally to mean a particular way of doing something (like life). 

My modus operandi is to love and to love hard. I don't just mean romantic love--although I am very much in love with a wonderful guy and have no qualms expressing that. Inherently, I've always possessed a very intense love that reaches into all aspects of my life. I genuinely love to learn, so I've always excelled in school. I love books, so I brought 60 of them to college with me. On a greater scale, my method of loving extends to many of the values I had to cross off the list. I love my family and my friends, so I constantly praise them and celebrate their half-birthdays and cry when they are hurt. I love God, so my version of faith is focused on loving others and striving for the ideals that Jesus represented. 

In regard to justice, that encompasses the desire in me to do whatever I can to make society better. 

Part of that means acting out of love, but it also means using my talents and education to pursue a law career in which I can work to protect those values of equality, freedom, knowledge, integrity, and peace. If there's anything that gets my mind and heart working at the same intensity, it's a political injustice. 

That brings us to the formation of a mission statement. Mine is simple.

Madison Zickgraf 's Mission: To always act out of love and pursue justice for all, to commit humbly to a patient pursuit of improving myself and the world. 

I hope to remember this exercise when life makes it hard to believe in an ideal, when I fail to love fully, and when the world doesn't seem to be moving forward. 

Until Next Time, 

Maddie

**Honorary recipients of my passionate love that were not listed above: ducks, fuzzy socks, a friendly tree, delicious tacos, parks & recreation (as a department and the TV show), the smell of the air after it rains, political biographies about powerful women, kids who like to read, and Crooked Media podcasts.**