How Would You Define Your Values?
Before you can answer the question about what you value, you need to know, in general, what values are.
Values are the things that we believe are important; our fundamental beliefs about life. They determine our priorities and contribute to what we do and what we don’t do.
Have you ever wanted to change something about your life, but somehow felt like you were unable to? Maybe you’ve wanted to quit smoking, or start saving part of your earnings, or get out of debt, or get into a relationship, but felt stuck every time you attempted it?
Let’s look at your values. Values influence you and drive decisions that you make in your daily life. They may be values that you hold because they were your parents’ or peers’ values, or because of what you were taught or decisions you made long ago.
The path to intentional change always begins with awareness. There’s no need to berate yourself for choices you have made in the past. Just be aware of them, and learn from them.
When we feel most alive and authentic, it is because we are living in alignment with our values.
- Love (passion, playfulness, connection, self-expression, compassion, unity)
- Success (achievement, pride, self-worth, contribution)
- Independence (self expression, freedom, openness, autonomy)
- Connection (intimacy, belonging, honesty)
- Security (trust, loyalty, confidence)
- Flexibility (adventure, courage, excitement, adaptability)
- Empowerment (confidence, self-esteem, fulfillment, self-worth)
- Passion (excitement, fulfillment, aliveness)
- Faith (trust, comfort, ease)
- Compassion (kindness, empathy, generosity)
- Well-Being (health, vitality, energy)
- Peace (presence, contentment, balance)
- Significance (contribution, charity, influence, gratitude, recognition)
- Balance (flexibility, wholeness, harmony)
- Growth (wisdom, progress, expansion)
- Joy (delight, humor, happiness)
- Creativity (inspiration, curiosity, power, innovation)
- Resilience (perseverance, hope, strength)
- Responsibility (contribution, choice, empowerment, providing)
- Integrity (authenticity, balance, truth)
In an effort to determine your personal values, ask yourself these three questions:
- Where do you spend your money?
- How do you spend your time?
- How do you spend your energy?
This is Step #1 of a three step blog.
In this step, identify your values. Choose your top 5. Write them down on an index card. Consider every day how they influence the decisions you make. The complete list of values follows below.
If you could choose something to hold as your highest value, what would it be? I choose faith. At times, even though I wanted faith to be my highest value, the truth is that it took a back seat to success. Once I saw how that operated in my life, and the impact it had on me, I was in a position to choose differently. We always have a choice when we are aware and authentic.
In step #2 we will go further into the study of values, as it affects relationships.
If you could benefit from coaching or counseling, please email cheryl@heldtogether.net or contact me here.
I sincerely appreciate you forwarding this to your friends as well.
Values List
Abundance
Acceptance
Accuracy
Achievement
Adventure
Ambition
Authenticity
Art
Balance
Beauty
Being the best
Belonging
Bravery
Calmness
Challenge
Change
Cleanliness
Comfort
Commitment
Community
Compassion
Competence
Competition
Confidence
Connection
Consistency
Cooperation
Courage
Creativity
Curiosity
Decisiveness
Dependability
Determination
Dignity
Directness
Discipline
Diversity
Duty
Education
Effectiveness
Energy
Ethics
Excellence
Expertise
Faith
Fame
Family
Fashion
Financial independence
Fitness
Flexibility
Friendship
Frugality
Fun
Generosity
Gratitude
Growth
Happiness
Health
Home
Honesty
Hospitality
Humor
Imagination
Independence
Individuality
Initiative
Integrity
Intellect
Intensity
Intimacy
Investing
Involvement
Joy
Justice
Kindness
Knowledge
Leadership
Learning
Love
Loyalty
Neatness
Neutrality
Organization
Originality
Outdoors
Peace
Persistence
Power
Practicality
Preparedness
Presence
Privacy
Punctuality
Recognition
Reliability
Relief
Reputation
Rest
Risk Taking
Routine
Science
Self-discipline
Service
Silence
Simplicity
Spirituality
Spontaneity
Stability
Sportsmanship
Strength
Structure
Success
Teaching
Teamwork
Time
Tradition
Truth
Unity
Vision
Wealth
Winning
Wisdom