Live accordingly to your values.

Do you ever stop to give some significant thought as to what your core values are? Is your life overwhelming you and you have no time for essential personal reflection? Have you ever written your values out? It’s turning out to be an eye opening exercise for me. This is part of the site, so in order to use values, I must test my values (along with the whole value database that is provided).

I’ve noticed that love is not a core value for me. But shouldn’t it be? Shouldn’t it be for everybody? Wouldn’t the world be an excellent place? Because I have not listed love I wonder if I’m a bit cynical perhaps.

Let’s say that kindness is a core value for me. Let’s say that someone forgot to use his turning signal and I ended up yelling obscenities and chasing him through city streets. I’ve just allowed that person (and myself) to weaken my core value of kindness and reduce my own personal “power”. And it’s so easy to fall into that trap. A thousand different experiences may try to diminish your core values and if you allow them to, you’re not living up to your core values.

Of course the advertising companies try to convince us everyday that success is an important value and is gained through materialism. Not.

So really understanding my values will support me to live the life I truly believe in. And I will be true to me and only me. But which ones?

My first list would perhaps be health, freedom, beauty, appreciation and happiness.

It’s an incredibly fascinating exercise.