What Anchors You in Life’s Storms?
How the Next Level Human Ethos, Credo, and Invocation Can Transform Challenges into Growth
Imagine standing in the middle of a raging storm. Waves crash around you, the sky is dark, and the wind howls with relentless force. You clutch at anything to keep from being swept away. What if I told you the key to navigating that chaos isn’t a life raft but something far more powerful—your personal honor code? Not just a list of values but a dynamic, evolving lighthouse that not only guides you through the darkness but anchors you in purpose.
The Call for an Honor Code
In the journey to becoming a Next Level Human, one thing becomes glaringly clear: before you can change your life, you must see it differently. This requires perception, the first of the six POWERS—Perception, Ownership, Wisdom, Engagement, Resolve, and Sharing. However, as you commit to stepping into your higher self, a gap emerges—a chasm between who you are and who you intend to become. What bridges this gap?
This is where the personal honor code comes in, functioning as a practical tool for daily alignment with your core values. While deeply personal and adaptable, the honor code is complemented by three universal tools in the Next Level Human framework: the Ethos, Credo, and Invocation of POWER. These three guide and inspire, while the honor code ensures you act on these principles every day. (We’ll explore the process of crafting your personal honor code in the next article.)
Let’s start by exploring the Ethos, Credo, and Invocation and their roles in anchoring you during life’s storms.
1. The Next Level Human Ethos: Your Guiding Principles
The Ethos is your lighthouse, providing direction when life feels unclear or overwhelming. It’s the "how" of living, the daily principles you strive to embody.
Here’s the Next Level Human Ethos:
Chase dreams, consider others, feel passionately, think critically. Do hard things, rest deeply, engage life, experience fully. Be on purpose, face your fear, rise from failure. Reflect often, adapt to change, create more, consume less. Uplift others, contribute meaningfully. Be honest, be kind, be good. Earn your easy. Learn, teach, love.
This ethos reminds us that greatness is not a destination but a practice. It encourages critical thinking paired with kindness, action balanced by rest, and consumption offset by creation. Imagine this ethos as the keel of your ship, stabilizing your journey through life’s tempests.
2. The Next Level Human Credo: A Declaration of Purpose
The Credo is your compass—a bold declaration of who you are and who you are becoming. This declaration connects you to your higher purpose, especially when doubt creeps in.
Here’s the Credo:
I am here to grow, to rise above fear, and to live with purpose.
I am not defined by my past but by the choices I make in each moment. I honor my scars as teachers and my struggles as the fires that forge my strength.
I choose courage over comfort, truth over convenience, and growth over stagnation. I am the author of my life, responsible for my actions, accountable for my impact. I pursue wisdom, not just for my gain but to inspire, empower, and serve.
What sets this apart is its emphasis on ownership. You don’t wait for circumstances to change—you change. The Credo anchors you to the belief that your story is still being written, and you hold the pen. It’s your mantra when you feel tempted to let fear dictate your actions.
3. Invocation of POWER: The Strength to Withstand
The Invocation of POWER is your anchor, giving you the strength to stand tall when the waves rise. Unlike the Ethos and Credo, which guide and clarify, this invocation provides direct inner strength. It’s a tool for courage in the face of adversity:
I am the light that dissolves shadow.
I will not run from fear.
I will rise up to meet it.
I am the calm in the storm, the anchor in the chaos.
Darkness may surround me, but it will never consume me.
I am the power.
I am the courage, the example, and the light.
Imagine whispering these words to yourself before a difficult conversation, during moments of self-doubt, or when stepping into uncharted territory. This invocation is about embodying the strength that already exists within you and drawing upon it in times of need.
Why You Need All Three
Each of these tools serves a unique purpose:
The Ethos guides your actions and decisions.
The Credo inspires your purpose and intention.
The Invocation strengthens your resilience in the face of fear and uncertainty.
Together, they form a holistic framework for not only surviving life’s storms but thriving through them. These tools complement the honor code, which provides the daily accountability to ensure you’re living in alignment with your values.
Building Your Own Honor Code
While these tools offer a global framework, your personal honor code is about grounding these ideals into actionable daily commitments. It is a practice of ownership, ensuring that every choice you make aligns with who you aspire to be.
For a step-by-step guide to crafting your own honor code, check out our companion article, "How to Create Your Personal Honor Code." This resource will walk you through the process of designing a tool that not only anchors you but transforms the way you approach your life and relationships.
Final Thought: A Call to Action
Creating your honor code is not just an exercise in self-discovery—it’s an act of self-mastery. It’s about declaring to the world and yourself: This is who I am, and this is how I will rise.
So, what will you anchor to when the storms of life hit? Will you drift aimlessly, or will you stand firm with a lighthouse, compass, and anchor guiding your way?
Start with your Ethos, declare your Credo, and recite your Invocation. Then watch as your honor code not only transforms your life but inspires others to rise alongside you.
Over to You
Which part of this framework speaks to you the most? The Ethos, the Credo, or the Invocation? Share your thoughts below—or better yet, send this article to someone who might need their own lighthouse in the storm.