What you value guides your key life decisions. Becoming aware of what is really important to you puts you in the driver's seat.
Values Guide Decisions
What you value guides your decisions, big and small. We aren't talking about morals and ethics here, we are talking about views and principles. And we are talking about being clear in your own mind about what REALLY matters to you.
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If you like yourself and your life, then your daily choices reflect what matters to you. If you feel a tension between how you spend your time and what gives you satisfaction, that too is a clue to what you truly value. Some examples:
If you place a high value on personal fitness, then you spend some of your free time on exercise; you watch what you eat; you pay attention to your health. If you do not value personal fitness, your choices will be different. If you think about it a lot while eating handfuls of potato chips in front of the television, you believe you SHOULD value fitness...but don't. If you value security, you will pay a lot of attention to your financial future. You will pay attention to insurance and prevention, to savings and disaster prevention. If you do not value security highly you probably won't do those things.
If you place a high value on spirituality, you will allocate time for prayer, meditation, or other activities that you feel enhance your spiritual life. It won't feel like a duty to you; it will feel natural and right to you. If you attend church regularly because you think you should and feel that your commitment to God is thus satisfied, then you do not value spirituality highly. It is a part of your life, but it is not a guiding force. And so on.
You may value what you were taught to value in your family and culture, or you may find that what you value is at odds with your background. Understanding what really drives you is key to taking charge of your life.
About the Author
Melinda Korenchuk is the author of How to Find the Right Person for You: A Guide To Successful Dating.