Believing in Yourself: Re-Thinking Values

What's important to you? What makes your life meaningful?

What Are Your Priorities?
Your Values
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What Are Your Priorities?

Life is an array of choices - many things demand your attention and energy. Take some time to reflect on what you value and why. What are your priorities in the next 2... 5... 10... 25 years? Write them down.

Your internal value of self is supported by your personal and professional values that "orbit" around you:

Relationships
Education & Career
Spirituality
Self-respect
Self-care & health
Financial security
Self-expression
Community

Your own "orbits" may vary in size and shape depending on what you decide is right for you.

Potential areas for energy:

Family
Tolerance
Religion
Democracy
Individual rights
Humour
Sexuality
Home
Leisure
Arts
Environment
Appearance
Fitness
Science

Your Values

Are you spending enough time and energy in the areas you value? Or... are your "orbits" off balance...?

Too much time on career and too little for family or health?

Too little attention to spirituality and too much to leisure?

When you know what you care deeply about, you are more able to discipline yourself and work hard to apply your strengths and talents in that direction.
Achieving goals that are firmly connected to your personal or professional values strengthens your self-esteem, and nourishes your spirit.

Beware of values that start out as admirable but become rigid and life restricting.

For example:

Valuing education so highly that you push yourself (or your children) to pursue areas not well suited to personal interests, talents and / or learning style.
Buying into the media "ideal" of the thin, toned body, to the extent that your body doesn't get the nourishment it needs to be well.
Placing such a high value on cleanliness and order in the home, that there is little time or energy left for family or other interests, and people are turned off by such impossible standards of perfection.

Aim for values that...

Allow you to meet your own basic needs, in balance with the needs of others.
Allow you to ask for help when you need it.
Are your own; are not just handed down to you by family, society, or culture, and never questioned.
Allow you to make mistakes, take responsibility for your mistakes and learn from them.
Enhance your life with expectations that are realistic and achievable.

What Are Your Priorities?

Your Values

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