| What are values? Values are your principles, | | | | chosen to live by or to disregard those teachings, they |
| standards, main beliefs. | | | | still play a part in our lives, either by our acceptance or |
| When asked to name their values, many people | | | | denial. |
| immediately will say family is one of their most | | | | Many people find themselves working and/or playing in |
| important values. Many of these same people spend | | | | situations that are not in alignment with their values and |
| 50 percent or more of their time at the office. And | | | | in some instances they don't recognize that the |
| they wonder why they are not happy. Others say | | | | misalignment is what is causing the stress and |
| money is not important to them. But they yearn for | | | | unhappiness in their lives. |
| beautiful designer clothing and are longing for the day | | | | What about you, are you truly living according to your |
| when they can buy a boat, or motor home. Obviously, | | | | own values? Are you happy with your work and play? |
| money is more valuable to them than they may allow | | | | If today was the last day of your life what would you |
| themselves to acknowledge. That acknowledgment is | | | | do, who would you see, and where would you go? |
| neither good nor bad; it just simply causes conflict | | | | Make a list of your top 10 to 20 answers, being as |
| within us to not recognize that in fact having beautiful | | | | honest with yourself as possible. Now take a serious |
| things is a value. | | | | look at your list and answer these questions. |
| Now possibly, that desire for beautiful things is a | | | | 1. How many of the people on your list do you spend |
| reinforcement of their belief that successful people | | | | attentive time with weekly? |
| have beautiful things. And those beautiful things | | | | 2. Of the things you would do because you enjoy |
| validate their success. What if the real value is | | | | them and they bring you pleasure, when did you last |
| success and the point is that sometimes we must look | | | | take time for those things? |
| deeper, below the surface to determine what our real | | | | 3. Where did you go that last day? When were you |
| values are. The conflict comes as a result of denying | | | | there last, if ever? |
| how we believe we should be living our lives, as we | | | | Answer the question again. Are you living true to your |
| live it differently than we truly believe we should. | | | | values? Life becomes so easy to live, I don't mean |
| People are complex and often have competing values | | | | effortless, but easy, when we are not at war with our |
| that interfere with long lasting change. | | | | spirit on the inside by our actions on the outside. |
| Our belief system was developed throughout our lives. | | | | Take care of those things and people that are |
| Our religious teachings, parents and even our teachers | | | | important to you. We don't know when there will be no |
| have instilled their beliefs in us, whether we have | | | | more tomorrows. |