Tuesday, 31st July 2012
What do you value: the highest quality or the best deal? On vacation, do you opt for the island getaway or the action-packed mountain adventure? Would you rather work until you’re done or prioritize projects in order to meet friends for dinner?
The choices you make are shaped by your values ~ free time or productivity, quiet or action packed, simple or extravagant. There’s no right or wrong. It’s a reflection of what you define as valuable. And you get to decide what this is.
These are sort of like your own personal commandments. And if you aren’t sure what yours are, I’d encourage you to begin to identify them. You definitely have requirements, preferences, and little wins. These exchanges in life are proof that you have a list of values, and articulating them can give you a better sense if in fact these are the words you’d like to live by.
Try this little experiment to articulate your values:
1. List 20 qualities you personally require for a healthy relationship of any kind. (Examples: honesty, intimacy, laughter, playfulness, intelligence, etc.)
2. Circle your top five.
3. Turn these qualities into statements. Write them down.
This week, explore how these five values direct your decisions. Look to the actions you take to discover what you really believe is worthwhile.
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