Discovering Your Personal Set of Values
One way to truly know yourself is to connect with your own values. Because of various pressures, it's easy to get distracted by other people’s ideals and take them on as your own. However, it's vital that you have your own set of principles and morals so you can stand firm in your beliefs.
Your values are the things most important to you at the core. It's the unwavering belief in what you stand for. When you know your values, you can live a happier life doing what's most important to you.
Expanding Your Mind Through Visualizations
An effective method of identifying your values is to imagine your future. Take the time to reflect on different areas of your life. Where do you see yourself as you get older? What are the things that are most important to you? What do you hope to accomplish in life?
Answering these questions will help you discover your values. For instance, if you picture yourself being close to your family and spending time with loved ones, then a strong sense of family is one of your core values.
You usually have many values; you just need to discover which ones are your highest priorities. That way, at the end of each day, you can feel confident that you're nurturing the most important parts of your life.
Popular Values
Some values are common to many people. You might find that they're significant to you, too, as part of your core beliefs.
These values may help guide you in determining your values:
Adventure. Are you a thrill-seeker? If things seem to get too stale, do you eventually feel bored? If so, you have adventure close to your heart and you'd be happiest with trying new experiences and new ways of doing everyday things.
Relationships. Valuing relationships includes finding all relationships important, in addition to your romantic ones. This means that you hold your interactions with your loved ones to be one of the most important things in life. In order to foster this value, spend plenty of quality time and effort on strengthening your relationships.
Spirituality. If you align with a particular religion or spiritual practice, then the beliefs of that practice are likely dear to your heart. You may find greater fulfillment by studying and practicing your spiritual explorations.
Creativity. Creative thinking helps the world in many ways, but it's not a core value for everyone. If you enjoy discovering and creating new things, perhaps it is one of your values. Try thinking outside the box while you're doing things that you enjoy, such as poetry, music, or painting.
Making a mark on the world. Most people will say that, in the end, they just want others to warmly remember them. If that's one of your core values, there are many ways that you can make your mark on the world. You can help others through volunteer work, create something new to help the world at large, be a positive influence on others, and much more.
To discover your values, find what makes you truly happy. Then, ask yourself why those things bring you joy. The answers will lead you to your core values.
If you feel like your life has taken a wrong turn, you can figure it all out by thinking about your future. Are you helping your future self by walking down your current path? If the answer is no, perhaps it's time to think about taking a new path based on your core values. When you do, that path will likely lead you to happiness!