Dayton Reardan’s Life Creed

Honesty: Honesty will be the guiding principle in my life. I will always be truthful in my dealings with everyone. I will not lie, cheat, steal, or dissemble nor tell part or half truths in all of my dealings with all people with whom I come in contact. My parents, John Birkhead Reardan and Nancy Elizabeth Briggs, and my maternal grandfather, Mead Grecean Briggs, impressed upon me the importance of always telling the truth. I cannot tell a lie since it is ingrained in my psyche.

Respect: I will respect all people whether they are janitors, garbage men, CEOs or the US President. I will not treat anyone any differently than I would like to be treated.

Love: I will love my family. I will love without condition or requirement or reciprocation. I will teach, but not impose my will. I will encourage them all to make the best of themselves and their lives. I will lead by example. I will try not to be overly indulgent. I will honor and cherish my wife. I will remain true to her as long as we are married, both in spirit and in body. I will try to make her life interesting, fun, enjoyable, entertaining and happy. I will thank her. I will love her.

Work: I will love what I do and do what I love. I will work hard to be the best at whatever it is I am doing. I will always endeavor to do my best, no matter what the project, or circumstances. I will maintain a high level of work product. I will strive to give good value for my services.

Engage: I will try to be engaged in all that I do and with anyone with whom I am speaking. I will do my best not to be distracted when interacting with any person. I will focus on the interaction.

Generosity: I will be generous with my time, particularly with my direct family. I will be generous with charities to the best of my time and financial resources.

Goals: I will set goals in life and I will work to achieve them. I will set goals at work and will ensure that they get achieved. I will set challenging, but not unrealistic goals for myself. I will not be overly disappointed should I fail to reach a goal, but will take corrective action to ensure it can be met next time.

Money: I will endeavor to make as much money as possible, yet will not sacrifice any of the above to make more money. I will strive for balance in my life with enough funds to enjoy life. I will save at least 10% of everything that I earn if at all possible. I will live within my means not spending more than I earn. I will not spend money I do not yet have. I will endeavor to be wise with my investments. I will seek appropriate advice.

Listen: I will listen. I will listen to what others have to say and I will respect their opinions even should I disagree completely. I will listen. I will hear what others say. I will be courteous.

Helping: When asked, I will help others to the extent am able. I will give time, money, effort. I will help others without being asked. I will contribute to my community.

Learning: I will follow in my father’s footsteps by continuing to learn my entire life. I will never stop learning or trying to learn. I will enjoy and embrace the learning process. When asked each day, will communicate something I have learned during that day.