Values are your roots. They serve as a foundation for personal decision-making and behavior. Understanding one’s values help guide our actions, beliefs, and principles. It is essential to reflect on and trust one’s values to lead a fulfilling life aligned with their beliefs and principles.
When you value everything, you really don’t value anything. Identifying those values most core to your being is essential and serves as a compass to how you move through the world. It is also important to identify one’s values rather than simply listing values deemed socially acceptable or that others hold. Identifying what truly matters to us gives us a clearer direction and helps us make decisions that align with our beliefs and principles. Values are often revealed when we experience intense emotions, such as anger or disappointment, so reflecting on those emotions and what values may be at their root can be helpful. By taking the time to identify our values, we can live a more authentic and fulfilling life.
Online assessments can be a valuable tool in helping to identify one’s values. However, it’s essential to approach the process with introspection and self-reflection. By comparing values and reflecting on what is truly important, you can better understand and prioritize your values daily. Narrowing down values to the top 5 can also help bring clarity and focus to decision-making. (Personal Values assessment)
Identifying one’s values is just the first step. Next, it’s essential to live out one’s values for them to have meaning and purpose. Integrating values into daily life and decision-making and aligning them with behavior demonstrates integrity and builds trust with others. Simply stating values without taking action to embody them is meaningless and can lead to a disconnect between one’s words and actions. By actively demonstrating values, individuals can live a more fulfilling life consistent with their beliefs and principles.
Defining how a value manifests in behavior, actions, and decision-making is important in actualizing values. This process helps individuals to bring their values to life and make them tangible. For example, someone who values compassion may show this through acts of kindness, listening empathetically to others, volunteering, or advocating for those in need. Having specific and concrete examples of how a value is demonstrated can help an individual stay accountable and ensure that their values are not just words on paper but are integrated into daily life. These “receipts” serve as evidence of the value and demonstrate a commitment to living by it.
Imagine a world where defining and living by one’s values was a norm and not an exception. How much deeper our relationships and commitments be? How much more would we decide based on principle, not peer pressure? What a different world this would be if we valued our values.
Not sure what your values are or how to lead with your values? Coaching can help. Click below to sign up for a FREE Purpose Clarity call.