What do you stand for? Most of us have a general idea, but we tend to shift or can become unclear about what values are. Why is that important? If we don’t have a clear set of values, we tend to feel confused about why we did what we did, or why we said what we said. Things or situations feel unsettling, and it is because they don’t align with our values. This process of value setting starts in our adult years, after we have experienced circumstances that we can measure against a scale of, “well, I won’t let that happen again, I know better now.” But, what would happen if we had these values early on in life? Wouldn’t these values give us a sense of self-worth, self-respect, and healthy boundaries? Yes, they would. We would still experience life, but we would experience life through the lens of our true and authentic self, without self-abandoning, being performative, or people - pleasing.
When we set our values, these can act as a self-check mechanism for our thoughts, self-talk, and actions. We can self-correct and trust our own intuition. It is a practice that we must take daily. Therefore, step number one becomes identifying what these values are through a series of discussions. Then, the overarching themes become evident. When these are evident, then we are encouraged to have discussions about how these themes are directives in our life. For example, if truth, trust, and fairness are my core values, then how are these demonstrated in my character, what I say, and what I do? Are they in alignment with my values? Think of yourself as a corporation. If you had these values, what would be your mission statement? What is your vision? What is your goals? What is your action plan? Notice how “goals” and action plan come last on the list. Because, if we don’t have strong values and a mission, we won’t ever be able to achieve our goals. Continue to find clarity in your values and your personal mission. Your vision and goals stem from that and become more solid as they are reinforced by a strong set of values.
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