The topic of values is one of my favorite topic. This is because, as a life coach, across the board I see that to the degree that our values are present in our lives, we feel more fulfilled, at peace, energized, able to manage life’s challenges and willing to take risks. When our values are present in our lives we experience greater health, feel most like ourselves, in the flow and heading towards our full potential. We feel that life is full.
The opposite is true as well; to the degree that our values are not present in our lives, we can feel discontentment, higher levels of stress, like something is missing, and higher levels of anxiety, and reactivity. In other words, this is when our survival kicks in.
Our personal values system is unique to each one of us. It is intrinsic, meaning that it comes from within. We know that something is a value to us because we have a reaction when it is present, and when it is absent. When present, our values have the capacity to light us up from the inside out, give us energy, make us feel alive, and make us feel like ourselves.
Some values include connection, adventure, accomplishment, being in nature, physical activity, community, novel experiences, service, creativity, independence, or personal growth. It is not that we can suddenly snap our fingers and completely align our lives to our values. However, getting clear on our values and what makes us feel most alive will help us to make decisions with more clarity and move our lives in the direction of feeling fulfilled.
If you want to learn more about your values, contact me for a session where we will dive in deep and get clear on your values!
If you would like to go further on your own, consider this activity:
Take a moment to get comfortable, and take a few deep breaths. Feel free to light a candle or turn on some ambient background music. Think back to a moment or time in your life when things felt right, when all felt aligned. This could be a moment or a period of time in the present or past. Allow yourself to steep in the experience. Notice your posture,
As you think back, notice what values are present in this experience: connection, adventure, accomplishment, being in nature, physical activity, community, novel experiences, service, creativity, independence or freedom, and personal growth, or any others. Then answer the following questions:
– What are must have’s? (Things that you absolutely want or need in your life to feel fulfilled)
– What values are already present in your life?
– What values are not being honored?
– What is one thing you can do today to begin to honor this value more?
Thanks for reading,
xoxo
Kristin Urbanus
