5 Reasons to Identify and Honor Your Values

Imagine you could… do what brings you the greatest joy, be with the people you love, and use your natural talents and gifts. That’s exactly what happens when you live in accordance with your personal values! 1. When you honor your values you are honoring yourself. There is a flow, ease and joy in your life when your activities and choices are congruent with your values. You enjoy an internal sense of rightness. 2. When you understand your values, they keep you on track. It’s easy to make the right choices for your own life, every day. 3. Once you have identified your values, and intentionally make choices that honor them, you can stop doing things for the ‘wrong reasons’ – such as pleasing other people and seeking approval. 4. Living in accordance with your values allows you to attract other people who share similar values, so that your time with them brings joy, ease and fun. 5. When your environment—your home, office and community—reflects your values, you will be happy where you are. What is a value? Your values are those traits or qualities that are you at your best; they represent your highest priorities and most important driving forces. Some examples of values include family, intimacy, service, adventure, integrity or connection. Where do my values come from? Your values can come out of all the happenings and influences in your life – your family, your spiritual and religious beliefs, your friends and colleagues, books you’ve read and much more. Values are not morals or principles, and they are not ‘right or wrong’. Your values are intangible—they are not something you do or have—but they are also not invisible to other people. When you are at your best, your values come across in the clothes you wear, the interactions you have with others and the choices that you make. Why do I need to understand my values? When you take the time to identify your own values—those things that are your true motivators—you discover what is essential to you. You then have a personal blueprint to help you navigate your life. If your choices and decisions are not in accordance with your values, you end up with dissonance. You become unsatisfied and unhappy; you can even become unhealthy! Understanding your values will keep you on track, every time you face a major choice or direction in your life. How can I use my values? Imagine being able to make the right decision for yourself every single time! You will be able to do this with confidence once you have completed the Values Clarification Process. When you make choices that honour your values, you are honouring yourself. A certain joy, ease and harmony appears in your life, and that sense of internal ‘rightness’ feels wonderful. Your values are truly your foundation and your map to the fulfillment path of your life.