Connecting Words With Values, Personal Statement Example

In my 27 years of my existence, the single most important thing that I came to fully understand and learn is the importance and significance of character words. Through my encounter with others and experiences in college, and three and half years in the military, I came to realize that powerful words can give people guidance, meaning, and purpose. I believe that I have a mastered realizing and respecting the power of words, and in my future career in the legal profession I will be able to build on this knowledge.

When first entering college, I believed –  like most 19 and 20 year old people  –  knew everything there was to know about life. I was ignorant to opposing views, and instead of learning from others, and my own mistakes, I kept on going in the direction I believed was the right one. My closed up mind, and this way of viewing the world obviously soon caught up to me, and I learned to deal with the consequences. My attitude affected my grades, and caused my trials and tribulations that I could have avoided if I took a step back. I now know that by taking certain words for their face value and trying to truly understand their meaning I could have avoided many of my mistakes.

When I first showed at basic training, I – like my peers –  was forced to sit around all day, waiting for a class date, and memorize creeds, and what I thought to be nonsense acronyms. I decided to automatically memorize all the texts, without paying any attention to their true meaning. I memorized them, because I was told to do so. One of those acronyms that stuck out was LDRSHIP, standing for loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. As I had a negative attitude, I kept on asking myself: “why do I need to know this? How will this truly make me a better soldier?” The answer to this question, and the true meaning of words only became apparent much later: during Ranger Selection.  While memorizing the Ranger Creed, I realized that so many men, greater than I could ever dream of being, had bellowed these exact same words. They did not just memorize the words, but truly lived their lives by them. The answer to my question earlier became evident: words that I considered nonsense acronyms before can teach you everything about being a soldier, a good person with values, and a professional.

It was that moment of revelation that made me start living by these values, instead of just memorizing these them.  They became words that you bellow to so proudly, and that if I am one day to even begin to walk in the hero’s shoes that I should begin living, and believing in the same things that they do. When I began living by these simple seven words,  it became apparent that doing the right thing attracted respect. To this day, when times get tough, I still repeat lines of creeds such as the Ranger Creed or NCO creed, in my head, to motivate myself and get through difficult situations. One of the most encouraging quotes that I keep on going back to is the first line in the NCO Creed, which states “No one is more professional than I”, to remind myself what being a professional means.  It helps me understand that your actions should talk for themselves; inside, and outside of work. I take this quote with me everywhere, to remind myself of my inner values. It helps me understand that whatever my task may be, it needs to be performed to the highest possible standards, as it tells others more about me and creates integrity. No matter if I am trying to achieve high grades, or dig ditches, aiming for the utmost highest of standards is something that I take pride in achieving

I chose to study at a law school because I believe that words are powerful enough to transform values into actions.  I also feel that many of my values, such as integrity, loyalty, and duty are relevant to the legal profession. Lawyers have a great responsibility, and need to meet high standards maintaining their integrity. During my military service I learned about dealing with people who do not have the same values and standards, and finding words to connect views. I believe that my integrity and courage would help me become a good lawyer, who will focus on justice, selfless service, and honor. I now live by the words that were once meaningless for me, and integrate the values of humanity in every task I perform.