Living a Values Based Life
If someone had said to me that 2020 was going to be the year of staying at home and not physically connecting with friends and family, I would have laughed out loud at the absurdity of that statement. Well, as we all know 2020 has become that year and so much worse for so many people.
Viktor Franklin, a Jewish psychiatrist who survived years of living through unspeakable events that occurs in Auschwitz wrote a book called “Man’s Search for Meaning.” He found that those who survived those horrific conditions where not necessarily the strongest or fittest, but the ones who were most connected with a purpose and lived by their values. Those not connected with a deeper purpose, who had lost sight of their values, where sadly those that lost the fight to live. He wrote in his book the following…
We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances; to choose one’s own way.
After recently reading this it got me thinking about values, what they are and the impact they have on our lives.
Values are what guide, inspire and motivate us in life. Values determine how you want to be treated and how you treat those around you. They are your hearts deepest desires, and fundamentality make up who you are and what you stand for.
Have you ever had a job that you felt unsatisfied with? Been in a relationship that did not feel quite right and as a result ended? Had friends that come and go from your life and you cannot understand why? The most likely reason is your values were not being meet in each of those cases, so it never felt good.
Knowing what your values are for each area of your life will allow you to run a mental checklist when looking at future jobs, partners or different situations that may occur in your life. You can literally run through your values like a checklist and it will help you decide if you do in fact want to take that new job, or go out with that new person, or end that friendship that keeps causing you harm. It’s your own personal go-to in built advisor. There is no more second guessing, it allows you to really trust your decisions and know that they are based on what is important to you.
Once you know your values, you can make any situation work providing you are living by them. What about the job I hate? In some cases, you may not be able to quit your job as you rely on the financial support it gives you. So, while you are busy looking for a new job in the background, day to day at your workplace live by your values. Take values-based action each day that satisfies your needs. If one of your values is respect, be respectful to everyone around you irrespective of how they treat you. It will make you feel better. If another one of your values is authenticity – be authentic. Move through each day being your authentic self, I promise you, you will feel better. The more that you live within your values and take action that reflects them, the fuller and more enriched your life will be irrespective of the surroundings. It does not mean you have to settle for a job you don’t like, it’s just a way of making that job manageable while you find your next one.
So many of us are disconnected from what is truly important to us. We go through day to day living the life we think we want or settling for what we have because we know no different. But are you truly fulfilled? Are you happy and living the life you secretly may be dreaming of?
Discovery individual values are the foundation of the work I do with my coaching clients. In my coaching sessions I help teach you how to live a valued based life no matter your environment. You will learn how to connect inwards to your hearts deepest desires and how to take values based action so that you can move towards a meaningful, rich life. Want more information? Why not book in for a free discover call to find out more.
