Have you ever wondered what is really important to you in life? And have you ever had a good conversation with yourself or with someone else about that? And if so, do you also know why these important things are important to you?
Creating more awareness of what is important also starts with knowing your values, knowing what is important to you in the core and what drives you. One person loves her freedom and the other flourishes when he has a clear framework to work within.
Our values are anchored in a deeper layer of ourselves. We ARE our values. Together with our personality, they directly influence our intrinsic motivation. What makes you get out of bed? And when do you feel stuck? The interaction between your personality and your values determine the movement in your life. Is that movement stiff or smooth, fast or slow? It all depends on the degree to which you are aware of your core inner values.
Where do your values come from? And why do they differ per person? It’s a bit like the nature / nurture story. Partly your values are present within you from day 1 and partly they are formed by your environment. But this unique bundle together form your core inner values.
Why are values important? Ideally, you move in this world based on the values that you find important. They drive your actions and determine the focus. So if “independence” is a value of yours, you will look for situations in your life where you will experience that independence. The more aware you are of the value of your inner company called ” I”, the more impact you will have on your environment and the more fulfillment you will experience with the things you do.
It is also true that we “put aside” certain values because of painful events. in our life Take the example of “independence”. Suppose you have experienced in the past that by acting independently, friendships have been broken. The pain of that rejection can cause you to decide, consciously or unconsciously, not to listen to this value anymore. This may seem satisfactory in the short term, but in the long term the company “I” loses its focus, drive and intrinsic motivation. The trick is to give all (sometimes conflicting) values a place in your company “I”.
These times, in which we are over loaded with unconscious human behavior, it is critical that we as individuals begin a major cleanup of our own enterprise “I”. Be aware of what really matters to you at THE CORE. And from there, take the steps you want to take in this world. Awareness of who we are and what we want to do is the most important thing the world needs now. And we all bear the responsibility for our own company “I”.
Tips for a value assessment of your company “I”?
- Create your top 5 values list Questions you can ask yourself are: What would I want my loved ones to say about me in 20 years’ time? Which people inspire me and why? What would I like to do if time and money weren’t a barrier and why? The why question always takes you to that deeper layer of values.
- Observe when and how you live your top 5 values. For example, at the end of the day, make an inventory of which values have or have not been present and why.
- Then think of small action steps you can take to incorporate your values even more in your life.
Where attention goes, energy flows, create an enterprise “I” that contributes to the collective consciousness so that you experience more fulfillment. That’s something you CAN do!