SYSEAS: Lesson 6 – Discovering Your Personal Set of Values
So far in this course, I’ve been guiding you through discovering who you really are. One way to truly know yourself is to get in touch with your own set of values.
It’s easy to get distracted by others’ ideals and claim that they’re your own because of certain pressures. However, it’s vital that you have your own set of principles and morals so you can stand firm in your beliefs.
Your values are simply the things that are most important to you at the core. It’s the unwavering belief in what you stand for. When you know your values, you can live an authentic life doing what’s most important to you.
Expanding Your Mind Through Visualizations
An effective method of identifying your values is to imagine your future. Take the time to reflect on different areas of your life. Where do you see yourself as you get older? What are the things that are most important to you? What do you hope to accomplish in life?
Answering these questions will help you discover your values. For instance, if you picture yourself growing old close to your family and spending valuable time with your grandkids, then a strong sense of family is one of your core values.
You can have many values in life; you just need to discover which ones are your highest priorities. That way, at the end of each day, you can feel confident that you’re nurturing the most important parts of your life.
Popular Values
There are certain values that most people feel are important. You might find that they’re significant to you too, as part of your core beliefs.
These values may help guide you in determining your own personal values:
- Adventure.
Are you a thrill-seeker? If things seem to get too stale, do you eventually
feel bored? If so, you have adventure close to your heart and you’d be happiest
with trying new experiences and new ways of doing everyday things.
- Relationships.
Valuing relationships includes finding all
relationships important, in addition to your romantic ones. If you value loving
relationships, it might be those with any family member or friend. This means
that you hold your interactions with your loved ones to be one of the most
important things in life.
- Spirituality.
If you align with a certain religion or spiritual practice, then the beliefs of
that practice are likely dear to your heart. You may find greater fulfillment
by spending your time studying and practicing your spiritual explorations.
- Creativity.
Creative thinking helps the world in many ways, but it’s not a core value for
everyone. If you enjoy discovering and creating new things, perhaps it is one of your values. Try thinking outside the box while you’re doing things
that you enjoy, such as poetry, music, or painting.
- Making a mark on the world. Most people will say that, in the end, they just want others to warmly remember them. There are many ways that you can make your mark on the world, if that’s one of your core values. You can help others through volunteer work, you can create something new to help the world at large, or you can be a positive influence on others, and much more.
All you really need to do in order to discover your values is find what makes you truly happy. Then ask yourself why those things bring you joy. The answers will lead you to your core values.
If you feel like your life has taken a wrong turn, you can figure it all out by thinking about your future. Are you helping your future self by walking down your current path? If the answer is no, perhaps it’s time to think about taking a new path based on your core values. When you do, that path will likely lead you to happiness!
The things and activities that you’re passionate about are closely related to your core values. The next lesson takes you through 15 questions that can help you discover your passions.
Here’s what you need to do today:
In your journal, write down 3 things that make you truly happy. Why do these things bring you joy? The answer will likely lead you to some core values!