Theodore Roosevelt once said, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” How do you know what the right thing is? What guides your decisions and choices? Gut? Logic? Facts? Majority Opinion? Whatever seems right at the time?
Did you know you already make many of your decisions and choices based on something inherently a part of you that you probably don’t consciously consider near enough? I’m talking about your Value System-Your VALUES. VALUES are “important and strongly held beliefs that influence, govern, and guide your life”. VALUES are PERSONAL. They develop from our life experiences and perceptions of what we consider, for ourselves, right and wrong. We should never judge someone else’s VALUES because VALUES are personal. We should always be open and willing to understand someone else’s VALUES if they are different from ours to help us get a better perspective of our own and why we hold the Values we do.
Here is a little exercise to see how aware you are of your VALUES and how consciously you use them in making choices and decisions. First, list your top 5 VALUES. Now, define each one in a maximum of two-three short sentences. [As a side note, it is a well-known fact that you do not know something as well as you think you do if you cannot explain it quickly and succinctly. That’s the reason for the two-three short sentences. I have found many using Value words for which it takes them 5 minutes, or more, to explain. If the Value concept is so unclear in their mind, how can they use that Value definitively in making decisions and choices?]
Now that you have your top 5 VALUES and their definitions, think of a time when you used each one in making a choice or decision? Was the use of each VALUE conscious or unconscious? What did using that VALUE to make that decision or choice do for the process? For most people, using their VALUES in making decisions and choices makes the process easier, less stressful, more confident, more decisive, more satisfying, and less emotional.
You spent years of your life, consciously and unconsciously, developing the VALUES you hold today. Shouldn’t you value them and use them more deliberately? I guarantee, when you do, your life, decisions, and choices will be easier, less stressful and more fulfilling. As always, we have a complete system of VALUE-FINDING should you want to pursue yours more.
