Do you know what your top core values are in life, panda bear? This might seem like an easy question (‘Of course! It’s love, freedom and family, Karolina!’), but how much in depth have you actually thought about it?
Mine, for example, are… Love, fun and authenticity (with extra honesty and courage sneaking in sometimes). The reason I’m asking is because I’ve been guilty of watching the news lately. I know, it’s super silly of me because the truth is, it only brings unnecessary drama I can’t really do much about anyways to my life, but hey, I’m only human (yeah, I like getting angry without any reason sometimes :-))! Anyways, following the news really makes me feel like the biggest problem we have not only as a society, but as a civilisation today, is that we have simply NO CLUE, what our values are!
I mean, people (whole states even!) say they value freedom, humanity, openness and justice but then they force muslim women to take off their burkinis and other crazy stuff!
My point is, a value isn’t really a value, until you actually align your life with it.
And that’s why I think it’s sooooo important to know what your core values are!
Because the minute you identify them (AND you keep reminding yourself of them!),you’ll have so much more clarity about who you are and who you wanna be, that the amount of hard decisions and dilemmas in your life will literally drop from a gazillion to about 4!
Just imagine how simple and clear your life would be if everything you ever did derived from your core values!
Let’s take creativity, respect and fun as an example.
Not sure if you should quit your job? Well, does it give you enough creative space? Does your boss and colleagues respect you? Do you respect them? Is it fun working there?
Deciding where to go for a holiday? Well, what sounds more creative and fun? Maybe it’s chilling out at the beach, thinking about the purpose of existence and then starting a book. Maybe it’s hiking and backpacking in the mountains. You name it!
You can literally apply this to everything!
Even the way you write your emails, job resumes, how you order your coffee or wash the dishes.
Take my Terms & ConditionsTerms of use on this site for example. You’ve probably never red them and I don’t blame you, because they’re always soooooo boooooriiiing! But hey, one of my values is FUN so I reflected that in there too!;-)
Getting clear on your core values basically means getting clear on who you are.
So if you haven’t found time to figure out what yours are yet, I really recommend you do so, possum! Here’s a whole values list for some inspiration if you need any!;-)
Getting practical
- Make sure you have no more than 5 core values otherwise it can get a bit confusing. If you end up listing like a million words, go through them again. You’ll see that some of them actually encompass others and that lots of them aren’t even truly ‘yours’ but maybe something you think you should believe in.
- Make your core values into little affirmation cards that you can stick into your wallet, on your fridge or board. Put them in your phone too. Basically, keep them visible or at hand so that you can remind yourself of them as often as you need.
- When facing a decision you’re not so sure about or a dilemma, go back to your values and ask yourself, “What would a fun / courageous / authentic / healthy / spiritual (fill in the blank) person do?!” Hint: the answer is YOUR answer.;-)
When you’re done, let me know what your values are in the comments below, as I’m super curious to know!
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