Identifying and prioritizing our values may seem like a simple exercise. We may sit back and contentedly peruse all those beautiful, admirable qualities that we have perfectly engraved in 2-D on a piece of paper! Words such as integrity, family, courage, etc. impress and soothe us with their altruism and virtuosity. The discomfort arises when we start asking ourselves candid questions:
- How does this value show up in my personal life?
- What is the impact when I compromise this value in my personal life?
- How does this value show up in my professional life?
- What is the impact when I compromise this value in my professional life?
In other words, are we living lives that reflect our values in all their 3-D (real world) glory? Profound cognitive dissonance results when our values are out of sync with our lives. Not acknowledging this disconnect, whilst attempting to improve our situations, amounts to moving deck chairs on the Titanic.
The act of taking inventory of our values and recognizing how they show up in our lives needs to be experienced like a dunking in ice cold water – a wake-up call – a call to action. An essential step to ensure that our life manifests what we truly hold most dear.
“Your core values are the deeply held beliefs that authentically describe your soul.”
– John C. Maxwell
