One’s values indicate what is deemed as worthy, what is esteemed. Therefore, what you value let’s you know who you are and becomes a guide when making decisions. Values are important because they allow you to know who it is that’s making the choices and why they are being made. Let’s take some time to let you discover, or remind yourself, a bit about your values by answering the following questions:
The first thing you can remember wanting to be is important because when you were little there were no barriers. You could be whatever you wanted to be. As a result, your answer indicates a lot about what has always interested you. You may not be able to engage in the occupation you first dreamed of, however you want to attempt to work at something that resembles what that first desire represented. So, what is the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
The relationship that is the most satisfying to you is your groundedness. It is what links you to someone/something else that is very important to you and that you do not want to harm or destroy. Therefore, whatever you do in life will need to honor this relationship. So, what is the most satisfying relationship in your life at this time and why is it satisfying?
Your answer to the question “How would you like to be remembered?” gives you your guidepost for determining who you want to be today. This is because if you were to die tomorrow, you would be remembered for who you were today. Therefore, thinking about how you want to be remembered will give you a good idea of how you want to run your life each day. So, how would you like to be remembered?
And, here is a list of 25 words that represent values. Rank-order the 10 that are most important to you and explain why each is significant to you:
Achievement Art/Music Beauty Challenge Community Education Fame Family Friends Harmony Health Home Love Mission Money Nature Peace Pleasure Religion/Spirituality Respect Security Self-expression Service Status Truth
Copyright 2011 Lynn Borenius Brown
