Do you know your Values?
To define your values, it is often helpful to look at a list of some basic values. Take a look at this list. Cross out the values that are not high and circle the values that are meaningful to you. Take another look at your circled items and choose your Top 5. This does not mean you don’t appreciate the other values. It just means that certain ones strike the very core of your being. For me personally, it is important to be Dependable. I have had many people in my life who were not Dependable, and I did not like it. Therefore, I do not want to live my life like them and have chosen to be reliable if at all possible. Which values score with you?
Here Is Your List
Accountability: making decisions, accepting consequences, and being responsible for your choices.
Autonomous: Being able to survive on your own.
Appearances: How you look, grooming, care of self.
Confident: Feeling capable, skilled, and able to handle self, empowered.
Calm: Being able to stay in control in a crisis, serene and peaceful.
Caring: giving, service, sharing, love, helpfulness, kindness, generosity, unselfishness, and sacrifice.
Citizenship: activism participation, community service, love of freedom, and patriotism.
Cleanliness: clean mind, body and habits, personal hygiene, and neatness.
Conservation: preservation, thriftiness, and moderation.
Courage: bravery, boldness, daring and confidence.
Dependable: Doing what you said you would do. Good follow through.
Empathy: understanding, compassion, charity, sensitivity and concern.
Endurance: patience, stamina, and strength in adversity.
Excel: Being able to meet your expectations and goals in life.
Forgiveness: pardon, absolution, mercy, and grace.
Generous: Giving to others.
Harmony: Living well with others, getting along.
Health: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
Humor: Being funny, finding what is fun and funny in life.
Hard–working: Doing your best, putting forth a lot of effort.
Helpful: Being there for others, giving a helping hand to those in need.
Independent: Being able to handle things on your own. Don’t ask for help.
Intelligent: knowledgeable, well read, learned.
Honesty: truthfulness, sincerity, honor, fairness and being genuine.
Integrity: consistency, honesty, and honor.
Justice: fairness, equality, and tolerance.
Leadership: setting a good example, taking charge and leading others.
Loyalty: faithfulness and steadfastness.
Patient: willing to wait, take time.
Positive: up-beat, see the best in things, optimistic, look for the best.
Persistent: Stick to it, don’t give up.
Prosperous: wealthy, rich, has money and material items.
Peacefulness: cooperation, compromise, calmness, and patience.
Respect: courtesy, manners, politeness and reverence.
Responsibility: dependability, reliability, punctual and honor commitments.
Safety: awareness, prevention and cautiousness.
Self-discipline: self-control and self-restraint.
Secure: Stable, feel at a good place, safe.
Spiritual: believe in a power beyond self, committed to beliefs.
Thoughtful: Thinking of others, follow through on what others may want.
Wisdom: being a life-long learner, common sense, learning, knowledge, and intuition.
These are not all the values in the world, but they are some of the most basic. If there is one that is not on this list that means more to you, make it part of your top 5. But knowing your values help you to make important decisions that will fit well into your persona and lifestyle. Ultimately, they will contribute to your happiness because you are in sync with your values. Please read more in article #3 in this series.
If you would like to read more books on values, check out…. “The Value Factor” by Dr. John F. Demartini; “Discovering your authentic Core Values” by Marc Alan Schelske: “From Values to Action” by Harry M. Kraemer or “Teaching your Children Values” by Richard Eyre and Linda Eyre.
If you would like to read more from this author, try: “Empower Yourself to Move Forward in Life…Starting Today”; “Personal Empowerment: Discover your path”; “Personality Strengths: Gain Self-Knowledge by learning your Unique Gifts”; and “Priorities: Discover your Top 5” By Vicki Langemo, LPC, MA.