To start, let’s dive a little deeper into the meaning of a value. A value is something that someone perceives to be valuable or important. We set priorities, boundaries, and hold ourselves accountable for things that we perceive to have meaning or that give our life purpose. 

For some people their values are clear. When our actions and behaviors are aligned with these values we thrive. 

For others, they may struggle with identifying what their values are. It doesn’t mean that they don’t have values, it may just mean that maybe they aren’t in a head space where they have the opportunity to really contemplate what these may look like or mean for them.

The downside of not having a clear understanding of our values is that we tend to struggle more mentally and emotionally with different aspects of life.   

To give this discussion more context let’s talk about my values. In full disclosure, I have not always had a clear understanding of my values or been in the head space to where I could fully utilize them. 

This just goes to show that growth can happen at any stage of life, and there will be ups and downs on the journey of existence.This reinforces my belief that, “No one is immune to the human experience, and the challenges that it brings.”

With a little or a lot of cultivating, I can say that my values are very clear for me now even on the days where I may not fully be in the head space to prioritize them. They are there to support me to recenter myself when I need it. 

The several values that I have chosen to live my life by are empowerment (finding strength from within), determination (commitment to positive change), growth (healing, recovery, self-discovery), individuality (freedom of self-expression), responsibility (commitment to personal values), optimism (positive results from positive thoughts), and knowledge (learning to embrace change).  

Let’s see if you can identify some of your own, and be specific about why these are important to you. If you need some support, check out the links below for worksheets and other guides that can help you.

https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/values-clarification.pdf

https://carleton.ca/mentoring/wp-content/uploads/Values-Assessment-Community-College-of-Vermont.pdf

https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/values-self-exploration.pdf

https://www.qualitycharters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Hiring-For-Fit_Values-List.pdf