A book by Scott F. Peterson
Refine our values through action. Because actions define us — and it does not happen by chance.
Paperback and ebook on Amazon · 27 chapters · the thirteen values · an evaluation you actually work through
The idea
Each of us becomes who we are because of influences and experiences that begin in our early years and keep changing us, year after year. We do not choose most of them. We do choose what we do next.
That is the argument of this book. Values are not opinions we hold; they are habits we practice until they become character. The stories in these pages help us remember our own experiences — the ones that quietly defined who we are, why we are, and where there is still room to grow.
Defined by Actions reviews thirteen key values, traits and habits we all carry to one degree or another, and gives the reader a way to take honest stock of each one.
Inside the book
It opens with a story Scott has no business telling on himself — a hotwired truck, a police spotlight, and a sixteen-year-old learning what a decision costs. From there: the small influences that shape a life, why real change happens on purpose rather than by accident, what moral courage costs and what avoiding it costs more, and why "it is what it is" is usually a way of not taking ownership.
One chapter each. Not definitions — stories, and what each one asks of you in an ordinary week.
Tested constantly, and refined daily.
Each of us can choose to be happy.
The things we give in to directly impact it.
Being honest means excuses are not needed.
It says more about how we respect others than we think.
Being dependable and guarding confidences pays dividends.
Becoming selfless and serving others is the greatest of all.
A diamond in the rough — shared with eyes wide open.
We usually get what we deserve. Be happy when we get it.
Volunteered service is far more rewarding than forced.
Each person has intrinsic worth. Honor it, always.
Pride cankers our souls; humility heals the wounds.
Learned and used purposefully, it eases our burdens.
This is the part that makes it a working book rather than a reading one. Four questions, asked in order, with the pages to answer them on: Where am I? — your value strengths and weaknesses, honestly scored. What do I want to change, and how do I start? What will I benefit from the change? And the one that decides it: What am I willing to do?
Read a page
Chapter one. Scott is sixteen, working nights as a janitor at the mall.
"One of my co-workers was a year older than me... the older co-worker announced that he had already hotwired it and it was ready for a quick jaunt around the parking lot. I remember thinking that this was just the ticket, the cool outside air would wake me up and allow me to move on diligently with my work."
"A quick crossing of two wires and the engine roared to life... Across the road we could see large mounds of dirt. They seemed to be beckoning the truck to come and conquer them — who were we to stand between a four-wheel drive beast and its challenge? We were mere passengers after all."
"As we paused momentarily at the apex of our climb, the vehicle on the road stopped and all of a sudden we were illuminated by a beam of light. The police car's spotlight was engulfing our vehicle."
Chapter One · Epiphany
He tells it on himself because of what came next, and because of the three words that came out of it — the phrase he says opens a life up or splatters it with strife, depending on which way you take it.
The premise, in four lines
"Decisions Determine Destiny."
The three words the book turns on"How we act determines outcomes, which can define future actions."
Introduction"In various situations, the words we use speak louder than our actions. But most generally, it is our actions that speak the loudest."
Introduction"Our life experiences may come by chance or coincidence, but life changes are made on purpose."
Chapter 3Who it is for
The author
Scott has been a student of personal behavior most of his life. He has come to understand that there are circumstances in every person's life that create, direct or guide each of us to act in the many different ways that define us.
Scott grew up in less than normal family situations. He did not even realize how unusual it was until he went to college, served an LDS mission in Central America, and then returned to marry Marsha, his eternal sweetheart. Once he saw the family situation Marsha grew up within, he deemed her young life to be near utopia.
Several years ago, a church leader visited with Scott and suggested he pen some of his observations and the experiences that helped him change his life from what was to what is now. This book is that writing.
Alongside his writing, Scott has spent three decades in business — today in franchise development and AI visibility, helping owners grow what they have built. His second book, When Words Wake Us, collects the quotes and scripture behind these same values.
Beyond the book
The thesis of this book is how he spends his working days: actions, repeated deliberately, build something worth leaving behind — in a family, and in a business.
When a customer asks ChatGPT, Gemini or Google's AI who to call in your town, someone gets named. Run Scott's free four-minute check and find out whether it is you.
Run the free checkScott works with people looking to own a franchise, and with owners ready to turn one proven location into a system other people can run. Start with a conversation, not a pitch.
Talk to ScottScott speaks to teams, congregations, classes and leadership groups on values, responsibility and legacy — and can arrange bulk copies for your group or study class.
Ask about a talkGet the book
Both editions of Defined by Actions are published through Amazon KDP. Read it with a pen — the evaluation works better that way.
Prefer to write to Scott directly?
Email [email protected]
Scott's companion book, When Words Wake Us, collects the quotes and scripture behind these values.
Questions about the book, a bulk order, a talk for your group, or one of the businesses above — this reaches him directly.
Questions
It is written by a man of faith and does not hide it — Scott writes from a Latter-day Saint background, and faith shows up in the stories. The thirteen values themselves are human ones: the traits any of us would want named at our funeral. Readers of any background, or none, can work the evaluation.
A personal assessment built into the book that gives you a foundation for measuring where each of the thirteen values actually stands in your life, so growth has a starting line rather than a good intention. It is meant to be worked, revisited, and worked again.
It is a short read by design and a long one by practice. Most people move a chapter at a time, sit with the story, and then do that value's evaluation before going on.
Defined by Actions is about the values themselves and how to grow them. When Words Wake Us is the companion collection — the quotes, scripture and original thoughts that shaped those same values, each with a personal reflection.
Yes. Use the form above with how many you need and when. He can also join a class or group discussion by phone or video.
Yes — teams, congregations, leadership groups and classes, on values, responsibility, character and legacy. Mention your group, the date and roughly how many people in the form above.