19/11/2025
LIFE HAS A WAY OF TESTING YOUR CORE VALUES
Growing up in a Christian home, I was raised on strong biblical principles and guided by parents who were both educated and remarkably courteous.
From an early age, respect became one of my core values; shaping how I related with people, how I carried myself, and how I navigated different environments.
Over the years, I’ve not only embodied this value but also shared it intentionally with individuals from all walks of life.
A few days ago, that value was put to the test.
On a sunny afternoon in the month of March, I purchased two pairs of shoes for my daughters for an event. They had worn them only once when both pair ripped right in the middle. I was furious, considering the cost and the fact that the shoes looked “new,” only for me to realise they had obviously been sitting on the vendor’s shelf for years.
I called the shoe vendor, explained what happened, and expressed my displeasure. She apologised and asked me to return them for repair.
Eight months passed.
She finally called to say the shoes were ready. I was a bit excited. Last weekend, I picked them up and what I saw made me even angrier than when the shoes first got damaged.
The cobbler had done a terrible, shoddy job. The shoes felt like tissue paper, weak, poorly mended, and clearly unusable.
Out of anger, I picked one of the pairs, threw them on the floor towards where the shoe vendor was sitting, and stormed out of her shop.
My children and I met my husband in the car and he drove off. The ride home was long and silent.
That silence was loud.
My core values of respect, mutual communication, and emotional management had been questioned. I could see the unspoken questions in my children’s eyes.
Different graceful scenarios played out in my mind as to how I could have handled the situation. I beat myself a couple of times saying loudly in my heart, “you shouldn’t have done that”
Eventually, my husband broke the silence with a sentence that pierced deeply:
“You’re too graceful for what you did there.”
At that moment, I was still fuming but the truth in his words settled in my heart.
Two days later, one of my daughters said,
“Mummy, I was surprised at what you did in the shoe store… I didn’t expect it.”
That was the moment I knew it wasn’t just a mistake it was a lesson.
I sat with her and explained everything: what had happened, how I felt, what I expected from the vendor, and how I allowed my emotions to take control.
I apologised, assured her that my action didn’t define my values, and told her how the experience made me more self-aware.
Then I took my phone, called the shoe vendor, and apologised for my behaviour because it was the right thing to do.
My daughter’s face brightened.
A life lesson was taught.
Not by perfection but by accountability.
Sometimes, we fall short of the very values we teach, preach, and stand for. But falling isn’t the problem staying down is.
Rise, analyse the situation, make things right, and move forward.
Life is too short to sit in guilt over a mistake when growth is an option.
What core value has life tested in you recently?
How did you respond?
What did it teach you?
Share your experience. We would love to hear and learn from you.
Abigail D. Omolola Ojo
Poised for Excellence Finishing School
