So What Are Your Values?

Personal values are deeply held beliefs or attitudes which are our convictions, our standards and our ethics all rolled into one. Our values tell us and others who we are and what we believe to be important, so that when we say of someone, “He's a family man”, “She's power hungry” or “They’re courageous”, we’re reflecting what we believe to be among a person’s most powerful priorities.

Knowing our personal values is important because these values assert a profound influence on the course of our lives. Without them we would be lost.They give meaning to our lives, as well as direction. If we know what drives us, it becomes easier to follow a clear set of guidelines for our choices and actions. We’ll be less likely to be confused, to take the easy way out or to chase after short-term gains at the expense of our long-term goals.

Knowing what our core values are makes it easier to identify people, places, and experiences that support our way of living. Knowing what our values are makes it easier to live with integrity. Integrity, in this case, means completeness - being a whole person. Being true to yourself.  

When too much is being asked of you; when you seem to be on the wrong track; when life seems too crowded, too busy and there’s not enough time to sort through it all, knowing what your values are is like having a sat nav to direct you through the chaos to where you want to be. Values guide you - it's that simple.

So what are your values?

What are the six most important things in your life that you cannot reasonably live without, which matter more to you than all the other important things?

Or ask yourself what is the one thing that you consider the most important in your life – so important, in fact, that you wouldn't be able to live without it (or the quest for it); the one value against which all decisions, actions and even thoughts, must be measured.

It could be love. It could be fame, fortune, freedom. It could be fun. It might be your family or it may be your vocation. Your essential value is like the headline of an article – it’s shorthand for the sum of your parts. It defines you – without limiting you. Anytime the ground beneath your feet seems shaky, you can turn to it and say, “This is me. This one thing is what my life is about.”

If you can't answer these two questions with any certainty, try the opening exercise in A Simpler Life to redefine the values you currently hold most dear.


From The Lifestyle Lowdown - A Simpler Life