The predictable path

Take the predictable path society laid out.

This is a recipe for disappointment.

We all adopt values from pre-packaged sources and there is often wisdom in them.

But society holds back the individual from thinking for themselves.

If everyone clings to the norms, there are no opportunities for progress.

Societal pressures hold you back from reaching your potential (found in self-development).

What would make you feel satisfied with your life?

Either you pick your purpose or society will assign you one.

I noticed that my values and how I spent my time were often not in agreement.

I've started carving out my own path while reminding myself it's a life long journey.

I’m getting closer to living in alignment with my values:

Self-development, Health, Impact, and Autonomy.

The beginning is hard because the people around you won’t understand.

You'll feel pulled between opposing priorities.

Question all of your actions and ask if they are helping you get what you want from life.

Or are you pursuing someone else's dreams?

The only person you owe anything to is yourself.

Trying to make other people happy always ends in disappointment.

By making choices for yourself, you give yourself the opportunity to make an impact on others.

Gaining Clarity on my values has helped me to make more decisions that align with who I am and who I want to be.

3 steps to determine your values (and live by them).

1️⃣ Pick 5-10 values from the list below ranking them from most to least important.

2️⃣ Re-order, modify and create your own over time with new life experiences.

3️⃣ Review and reflect on your list once a month so you can game plan and execute.

LIST of 59 VALUES

1. Acceptance: to be open to and accepting of myself, others, life, etc.

2. Adventure: to be adventurous; to actively seek, create, or explore novel or stimulating experiences

3. Assertiveness: to respectfully stand up for my rights and request what I want

4. Authenticity: to be authentic, genuine, and real; to be true to myself

5. Beauty: to appreciate, create, nurture, or cultivate beauty in myself, others, the environment, etc.

6. Caring: to be caring toward myself, others, the environment, etc.

7. Challenge: to keep challenging myself to grow, learn, and improve

8. Compassion: to act with kindness toward those who are suffering

9. Conformity: to be respectful and obedient of rules and obligations

10. Connection: to engage fully in whatever I am doing, and be fully present with others

11. Contribution: to contribute, help, assist, or make a positive difference to myself or others

12. Cooperation: to be cooperative and collaborative with others

13. Courage: to be courageous or brave; to persist in the face of fear, threat, or difficulty

14. Creativity: to be creative or innovative

15. Curiosity: to be curious, open-minded, and interested; to explore and discover

16. Encouragement: to encourage and reward behavior that I value in myself or others

17. Equality: to treat others as equal to myself, and vice versa

18. Excitement: to seek, create, and engage in activities that are exciting, stimulating, or thrilling

19. Fairness: to be fair to myself or others

20. Fitness: to maintain or improve my fitness; to look after my physical and mental health and well-being

21. Flexibility: to adjust and adapt readily to changing circumstances

22. Forgiveness: to be forgiving toward myself or others

23. Freedom: to live freely; to choose how I live and behave, or help others do likewise

24. Friendliness: to be friendly, companionable, or agreeable toward others

25. Fun: to be fun-loving; to seek, create, and engage in fun-filled activities

26. Generosity: to be generous, sharing, and giving, to myself or others

27. Gratitude: to be grateful for and appreciative of the positive aspects of myself, others, and life

28. Honesty: to be honest, truthful, and sincere with myself and others

29. Humility: to be humble or modest; to let my achievements speak for themselves

30. Humor: to see and appreciate the humorous side of life

31. Independence: to be self-supportive, and choose my own way of doing things

32. Industry: to be industrious, hard-working, and dedicated

33. Intimacy: to open up, reveal, and share myself — emotionally or physically — in my close personal relationships

34. Justice: to uphold justice and fairness

35. Kindness: to be kind, compassionate, considerate, nurturing, or caring toward myself or others

36. Love: to act lovingly or affectionately toward myself or others

37. Mindfulness: to be conscious of, open to, and curious about my here-and-now experience

38. Open-mindedness: to think things through, see things from others’ points of view, and weigh evidence fairly

39. Order: to be orderly and organized

40. Patience: to wait calmly for what I want

41. Persistence: to continue resolutely, despite problems or difficulties

42. Pleasure: to create and give pleasure to myself or others

43. Power: to strongly influence or wield authority over others, e.g., taking charge, leading, organizing

44. Reciprocity: to build relationships in which there is a fair balance of giving and taking

45. Respect: to be respectful toward myself or others; to be polite, be considerate, and show positive regard

46. Responsibility: to be responsible and accountable for my actions

47. Romance: to be romantic; to display and express love or strong affection

48. Safety: to secure, protect, or ensure safety of myself or others

49. Self-awareness: to be aware of my own thoughts, feelings, and actions

50. Self-care: to look after my health and well-being, and get my needs met

51. Self-control: to act in accordance with my own ideals

52. Self-development: to keep growing, advancing, or improving in knowledge, skills, character, or life experience.

53. Sensuality: to create, explore, and enjoy experiences that stimulate the five senses

54. Sexuality: to explore or express my sexuality

55. Skillfulness: to continually practice and improve my skills, and apply myself fully when using them

56. Spirituality: to connect with things bigger than myself

57. Supportiveness: to be supportive, helpful, encouraging, and available to myself or others

58. Trust: to be trustworthy; to be loyal, faithful, sincere, and reliable

59. Insert your own value here.

(This list was originally sourced from https://thehappinesstrap.com/ )

Daily actions that are in line with your core values is the only satisfying and sustainable mission.