Living in your values
When individuals or families are floundering, I often help them consider what they truly value and if they are living into those values.
What does this mean exactly?
"Living in your values" involves aligning your thoughts, emotions, actions, and decisions with the core principles and beliefs that are most important to you. It's consciously integrating your values into your daily life and using them as a guide for making choices that are authentic and meaningful to you.
So, for example, you might say you value family time, but you often work late and when you get home, you need to decompress for a bit. By the time you feel up to being with your roommates, wife, or kids, it is too late. You feel terrible. Why? Because your actions were not congruent with your value of the importance of family time.
What do you value?
Below are 20 values to consider. Narrow this list down to the top three that you would like to implement in your life or add your own to the list.
Authenticity: Being true to oneself, honest, and genuine in thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Compassion: Showing kindness, empathy, and understanding towards oneself and others, especially during challenging times.
Respect: Treating oneself and others with dignity, consideration, and regard for their feelings, beliefs, and boundaries.
Integrity: Acting in accordance with one's moral and ethical principles, and being consistent in behavior, words, and actions.
Gratitude: Cultivating a sense of appreciation for the people, experiences, and blessings in one's life, and expressing thankfulness regularly.
Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings and perspectives of others, and responding with compassion and support.
Resilience: Building the capacity to bounce back from adversity, setbacks, and challenges, and grow stronger through adversity.
Generosity: Sharing one's time, resources, and talents with others, and contributing to the well-being of the community.
Mindfulness: Cultivating present-moment awareness and being fully engaged in the here and now, without judgment or distraction.
Courage: Facing fears, taking risks, and stepping outside of one's comfort zone to pursue personal growth and pursue meaningful goals.
Balance: Striving equilibrium in all aspects of life, including work, relationships, health, and leisure.
Responsibility: Taking ownership of one's actions, choices, and commitments, and fulfilling obligations with diligence and accountability.
Love: Nurturing deep connections, affection, and care for oneself and others, and fostering healthy relationships based on mutual respect and support.
Adaptability: Being flexible and open to change, and adapting to new circumstances, challenges, and opportunities with resilience and grace.
Purpose: Living with a sense of meaning, direction, and intentionality, and aligning actions with core values and long-term goals.
Forgiveness: Letting go of resentment, bitterness, and grudges, and extending compassion and understanding towards oneself and others.
Unity: Fostering a sense of togetherness, cooperation, and solidarity within the family and community, and supporting each other through thick and thin.
Creativity: Embracing curiosity, imagination, and innovation, and expressing oneself through art, exploration, and self-expression.
Humility: Cultivating modesty, openness, and a willingness to learn from others, and acknowledging one's limitations and imperfections.
Joy: Embracing moments of happiness, contentment, and fulfillment, and finding joy in the simple pleasures of life.
This is not an exhaustive list, but it provides a starting point for you to reflect on the values that are most important to you and consider how you can incorporate them into your life.
I’d love to hear about your top 3!