Live your values
Do you have difficulty recognizing and living your values? You are not alone. It can be difficult to understand what really matters to us. But this activity can help you live your values better.
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It is now normal that our actions do not always reflect ours ideal for me – the me we would like to be. No one is perfect and it’s not healthy to make a long list of things we “should” do. But when we go through life without behaving authentically, we risk losing track of who we really are.
Do you know if you are living a life that reflects your true values?
Activity: Live your values
For example, let’s say Malik values kindness. To live this value, he shows himself to be friendly, even towards potentially hostile people. But what if one of these people was actually cruel to Malik? Should he always be friendly? Or is it more important in this situation that Malik lives out his value of kindness by not letting this person groom him? him hostile. A more sincere response for Malik might be to stand up for himself, even if it means stopping being nice to the person. There are no right or wrong decisions. The right choice is the one that suits you.
Below you are asked to think about some of your behaviors. Think carefully about whether your actions reflect your true values. Are you trying to please the people around you? Are you trying to live one value while neglecting another?
Try to really push yourself to define the actions that make you feel like you’re truly living the way you want to.
What did people say?
Here are some examples of how people have acted contrary to their true selves and how they will act in closer alignment with their true selves in the future:
- I hesitated >> I will improve my concentration through meditation.
- I had an argument with my mother >> I’m going to breathe and try to relax.
- I allow my colleagues to blame me for situations that are not my fault. >> I will defend myself.
- I cheated >> I will stay faithful to the person I love.
- Stay angry >> Walk away and take time to calm down.
- I lied >> I’ll try to be honest.
- I’m going to get angry >> I’m going to try to be patient.
- I let people walk all over me >> I will speak.
- I control my spouse >> I will support him more and try to help him.
- I discuss >> I avoid conversations I don’t believe in.
Hopefully these examples can also help you live more in accordance with your values.
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