What do some of the following words mean to you ? And what meaning do they have in your life ?
That is what thinking about your life values as motivation, inspiration and guidance is.
Ask yourself, "what is important to me that I 'be' or 'show' in my life, and how can I start 'being' and 'showing' those things now ?"
How can you start on your self reflective journey toward an empowered life which has meaning for YOU ?
What is a "VALUE" ?
Generally speaking, a value is something that resonates with your beliefs, cultures and morals. They are things that you feel hold high importance in all aspects of your life (work, health, fitness, love, friendship, family, spiritually, religiously, relaxation etc). Values help you decide your priorities and guide your life in whichever direction you choose. When your thoughts, actions and life in general aligns with your values, you usually feel happy, and vibrant; well. If things do not match your values, it is normally when things are hard, painful or just feel “wrong” and a source for unhappiness. You’ll find that things that really get to you or make you angry/upset are usually because the source of that unhappiness (a person, or thing) has disrespected one of your values. E.g if you hold “honesty” as an important value, you will be incredibly hurt if someone lies to you.
This is why finding what your personal values are can be very important – as they help you to make positive meaningful choices and plans to improve your life, and aid you in moving forward; maturing into an individual you would like to be – someone who acts, thinks and behaves in such a manner that compliments your values.
Below is a list of values. If you feel like it, write down or mark some of the values that you feel hold high significance or importance in YOUR life Be honest, no one else will see it. At first there should be plenty that you find are appropriate or significant to you. But add any others that are important to you as you go along. Then try break down the list you have into about 6 values that you hold of highest importance. These values represent what you stand for as a human being. And from here you are able to utilise this knowledge by proactively and consciously making choices and goals that work with those values.
It is sometimes really important to discover other peoples values, so you know what things are appropriate or not so appropriate to do/act/say around them. As their values will not be the same as yours, so understanding other peoples values enables you to understand them better also.
Acceptance: to accept differences in myself, others, life etc in a non-judgemental way
Adventure: to be adventurous; to seek new unfamiliar experiences
Altruism: to have a selfless concern for the well-being and care of others.
Appreciation: to appreciate, acknowledge and nurture unique qualities in others, our world, and in deeds.
Assertiveness: to stand up for myself and others calmly and with respect,
stand my ground with confidence not arrogance
Caring: to be care for others and our world
Challenge: to attempt things outside of my comfort zone in order to grow and learn
Community: to participate and give back to my community to enhance everyone's sense of security and belonging
Courage: to be brave enough to face of threats, challenges, fears or the unknown.
Creativity: to create and innovate.
Curiosity: to be curious about ourselves, others and to explore the endless opportunities around us.
Empathic/Empathetic: see things from other’s points of view
Fairness: to be equitable and open-minded in dealings with myself or others.
Fun: to be fun-loving; to seek, create, and engage in fun-filled activities
Generosity: to be generous, sharing and giving, to myself or others
Grace: to show gratitude, be appreciative and grateful for positives
Humour: to laugh easily, to see and appreciate the funny side, even laugh at yourself
Modesty: to be content in my own achievements
Commitment: to be completely dedicated to a person, belief or cause.
Independence: to be self-supportive of my mind body and soul
Faithful: to listen to and respect my beliefs, , and choose my own way of doing things
Intimacy: to be open, unashamedly share myself emotionally or physically in relationships
Kindness: to be kind, compassionate,and caring in word, thought and deed
Affectionate: to show affection and non-intomate love through body language, word and deed.
Loyalty: to stand by those important to us and our ideals.
Patience: to wait with calmness and understanding
Persistence: to carry on stubbornly despite challenges.
Influential: To influence or guide others.
Respect: to have manners and a non-judgemental awareness of the needs and beliefs of others
Responsibility: to be responsible, answerable and accountable for my actions
Romance: to show and emotionally express love or strong affection
Safety: to both feel and be protected
Financial security: to have enough resources to meet the ongoing needs of yourself and family without requiring assistance.
Insightful: to be aware of my own thoughts, feelings and actions.
Decisive: to weigh up and make decisions wisely.
Knowledgeable: to have informed oneself well, continue learning, educated
Wisdom: to have experience, knowledge and good judgement
Sensuality: to enjoy and explore stimulation of the senses.
Sincerity: to be free of deceit, pretense, hypocrisy or falsity
Spirituality: to feel and demonstrate a connection with an idea or energy greater than me.
Skilfulness: to sustain effort in practice to improve my skills, and demonstrate those skills well.
Encouraging: to be emotionally, verbally or physically supportive, positive, helpful, encouraging of others without reference to ourselves.
Trust: to be trustworthy, to be able to damage someone with their secret but choosing not to.
Love and light,
Sjana x