TOV Core Values

The word “Values” crops up when people talk about beliefs and behaviors regarding how human beings do or do not get along with one another and with gods, spirits, and nature. Values are cherished beliefs of what is good and broad, abstract guides to what people do. They have the force of right, good, valuable, or desirable and underlie an individual’s belief as to what life “should be.” There are many sources of values – cultures, religions, traditions, etc. 

For past generations, most members of a society acquired their values from the people with whom they experienced life – family, neighbors, friends, teachers, religious leaders, etc. But today, we live in a social media global world and are exposed to beliefs and values from multiple sources spread across the globe.

Core Values are our most important values. They are the ones that make up the standards we use to make decisions about what we will do or not do. Amazingly, for things that are so important, most people have never consciously examined the beliefs and core values that are controlling their lives.

Team Members of the TOV Center learn how to embark on a journey of self-discovery and identify their values and beliefs. They also become aware of time-tested TOV Values that they may consciously choose to add to their Core Values. The source of TOV Values is "The Wisdom of the Beginnings," an account recorded in an ancient Hebrew text that is found in the Scriptures of Judaism and Christianity. Many of its Values are found in the institutions of Judaism and Christianity, as well as the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution -- life, equality, justice, etc. 

TOV Values begin with Life as the highest value and include Values Families that are required for people to live life at the TOV Standard level, for example food, water, shelter, clothing, education, security, healthcare, income opportunities, and many more. These are not things that should be controlled by how much profit they make for predators -- they are Basic Requirements of Human Life.

Values are not verbal declarations that are made from time to time about things we like. They are the factors behind the decisions we make that affect our personal lives and the lives of others. TOV Values are a Values-Based way of living that begins with the self-examination of Personal Belief Systems and continues through the conscious adoption of Core Values -- an ongoing process.