Want Success and Fulfillment? Know Your Values.

 

By Dana P. Rowe, PCC, CPCC, CPQC

“Once upon a time, a traveler was walking on a long, hot, dusty road. The traveler had been lost for some time when they came upon a charming little village where there was a deep, sparkling well and a withered and wise old soul sitting under a splendid tree. The traveler rejoiced and immediately had a refreshing cup of water from the village’s well.

Noticing the wise old soul under the magnificent tree, the traveler sensed somewhere deep inside that encountering this wise old soul was indeed the opportunity of a lifetime.

The traveler approached the wise soul with great respect and asked, “Wise One, what is the secret of success and fulfillment?”

The beautiful old soul looked up with a twinkle in their eye and said, “The Secret? The secret to success and fulfillment, of course, is to know and honor your values.'”

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It’s so simple, yet so many of us never take the time to figure out what our values are. We go through life bouncing from one thing to the next without any real sense of purpose or meaning. And we wonder why we’re not fulfilled.

When you know your values, you can begin to make decisions in your life that are in line with what’s important to you. Uncovering and honoring your values can provide you with a sense of direction and purpose that will bring meaning and fulfillment to your life.

It’s important to note the distinction between values and beliefs where decision-making and life choices are concerned. Values are meaningful to you, while beliefs are your opinions or thoughts about something. For example, one of my values is authenticity. This means that I hold honesty and integrity as essential virtues. My belief might be that all people should always be honest, regardless of the situation. So even if telling the truth would ultimately be damaging or hurtful to someone’s feelings, my belief would dictate that I should still be authentic and honest. Life isn’t always that simple.

In short, beliefs can be wrong, but values always steer you in the right direction. Here’s a short video that explains it really well.

 

 

So how do you go about discovering your values? There are a few different ways:

Look at what you’re drawn to in life. What activities or causes do you feel passionate about? What makes you feel alive and excited? These are likely indicative of your values.

Ask yourself what you would do if money and time were no object. If you could do any job in the world, what would it be? What kind of lifestyle would you want to live? This can give you an idea of the types of things that are important to you.

Take a look at what you spend your money on and how you choose to spend your time. What do these choices say about the values that are important to you?

What really annoys you and really makes you angry? What things would you never tolerate in your life? This is a big clue to what’s important to you.

If a stranger were to come into your home, what would they see that might tell them what’s most important to you? This could be things like pictures on the wall, books on your shelf, or even the type of furniture you have.

 

 

 Once you’ve identified your values, it’s crucial to begin honoring them. This doesn’t mean that you have to become a perfect person and do everything perfectly (trust me, none of us are perfect). It just means that you need to start making decisions in your life that align with what’s important to you.

When you live your life per your values, you’ll find that success and fulfillment come more easily. You’ll have a sense of meaning and purpose that comes from within rather than from external sources. You’ll be happier and more content with who you are and what you’re doing. Success and fulfillment will be yours for the taking.

So what are you waiting for? Figure out your values and start living by them today. Be aware that our values can shift and evolve over time, so check in with yourself regularly and make sure you’re still honoring what’s important to you.

Choose one value to focus on today. It might be something like authenticity, integrity, compassion, or courage. How can you start incorporating this value more into your day-to-day life?

If you would like some help figuring out your values, download my free values workbook. It’s filled with questions designed to help you clarify your values and point you to more fulfillment and happiness.

Download your free Personal Values 5 Step Workbook by clicking here.

https://danaprowe.com/values