Values are the important ingredients that determine how we do things, make important decisions and derive meaning. It is the way we believe to be our standard of behavior and how we live our lives.
You can see a person’s values by the way they speak, treat others and the work they do. You can see values in a company’s tagline, vision and how their employees speak about them. Values are who they are and how they operate. When you think of Mother Theresa, you think compassionate – that is one of her values; when you think of Apple, you think innovation – which is how they have built the company on.
Why are values so important? Everyone has a set of values internally. It is a compass that drives you. When you know your values and live a life or do work that is completely aligned with your values, there is tremendous satisfaction and fulfillment. You will be willing to go the extra mile and still feel energized!
Before knowing my values, I often struggled with what I naturally want to do versus what I think I should be doing. While I make a good living following the latter, I often felt drained and unfulfilled. This led me to numbing activities like shopping, gaming or spending time on activities that would take my mind off my work. Over time, I became frustrated, sad and numb inside. You see, when you numb, you not only block just the negative feelings – you numb ALL feelings. This means I was unable to live in the moment and be truly happy with all that I have.
When I discover my inner value of service to others, I started to see the life I live differently. I seek for ways to serve and to deliver value to others who need help. Eventually I even made the decision to transition to a different field of work to become fully aligned with my values. This gave me great peace and fulfillment. True ikigai – the reason for my being.
So, do you know what your values are? Here are 3 ways you can start the discerning process.
1. When were times you were happiest? What were you doing and why were you so happy?
2. Were there times you felt proud of yourself? Why were you so proud?
3. Lastly, when you felt really fulfilled and content, what desire or need did you satisfy?
Asking yourself these questions will start your journey towards finding out your values. You can also book a Complimentary 30 minutes Values Review Session with me at this link – https://go.oncehub.com/laihansam
Do you know what your values are? Are you living a values-aligned life?
#hansamlai #lifework #valuesareroots
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