One of the most important things for living a happy life is living according to your values.
Do you truly know what your core values are?
Are you living each day in line with your values?
With some exceptions depending on where and when you went to school, to know and live by your values isn’t usually taught in the education system. It’s loosely taught in some religions and spiritual movements but how to live by your values isn’t a topic that most people are familiar with or practice. I’d been studying personal development, attending workshops and seminars for over ten years before I stumbled on a great course on values – and it added a whole new dimension to my life!
Some things and some people don’t really mean much to us so it’s fair to say we may not place much value on them, or their presence in our life. Others mean the world to us and we place enormous value on them, but do we treat them accordingly?
It can be a good, positive process to sit quietly and think about all the people around you who contribute to your life in some way. Even the people who don’t seem to contribute positively are teaching you valuable lessons such as developing patience, tolerance, understanding, forgiveness etc.
Next, think about the things within you and around you that enrich your life and make it more fulfilling and enjoyable. Things like your health, (physical and mental) your home, your source of income, friends, family etc.
How much value do you place on these people and things?
Are you giving them the respect and attention they deserve?
For example: if you value your environment, are you looking after it? If you value your friendships are you doing all you can to be a good, reliable, understanding friend? Do you value kindness and are you being kind and making kind choices? If you value freedom, does your lifestyle provide this or are you working a plan to achieve freedom? Maybe you value peace? What do you do to create peace within and in your (physical) life? Same with happiness. If you value your health, do you look after yourself well?
My top values are Peace, Spirituality, Freedom, Health, Kindness/Compassion, Honesty, Integrity. I value Peace, therefore I meditate daily and make choices that help me create inner and outer peace wherever I am. I choose to live in a peaceful area. I value my freedom, so I choose to do business online, working from home. (I’ve never liked the restraints of a job, or the commuting in noisy traffic etc). I value my health so I follow a vegan/plant based/organic nutrition plan and I stay away from unhealthy things like alcohol, cigarettes, junk food etc. I value kindness, so I follow a compassionate vegan, organic, cruelty free lifestyle – I choose everything, as much as possible, that hasn’t caused harm to animals, nature or humans. I value my environment and all of nature so I nurture and respect it wherever and however I can.
Decision making becomes easier when you know your values. For example, if someone offered me a million dollar income to work in a busy city (remember, I value peace) or work in a butcher shop, abattoirs (or somewhere else with animal cruelty) I’d know immediately it’s a big no! (apart from loving animals, also because I value kindness and I don’t view suffering and killing as kindness). Same with an online business. I don’t care how much money I may earn, I wouldn’t sell/promote products or services that weren’t kind and respectful to humans, animals and the environment. (I value integrity).
If you feel inclined, share some of your values with me in the comments below.
My post on values is very basic but you can learn more in this helpful article:
https://scottjeffrey.com/personal-core-values
Work out your values and live by them and no matter what’s going on around you, Every Day Gets Better. 💛🌳🙂
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