VaLuES - YouR's & MiNe

I've been thinking alot about life's values these days. Values; defined as the worth we placed upon certain things, our highest priorities and the things considered important to us. I think in some ways, the values we hold dear defined us as an individual.

I believe our values changed as we progress in life. What's important to us in our childhood, in our adulthood; as we started our career, our family and after retirement, changes as we progress in life with improved maturity and wisdom, we inevitably see things from different perspectives

Most of us are easily distracted. It's easy for us to fall into the trap of living by different priorities every day. One day we exercise; the next day we slack off. One day we work productively; the next day we're stricken with a bout of laziness. If we don't consciously use our priorities to stick to a clear and consistent course, we'll naturally drift off course and shift all over the place. And this kind of living yields poor results. Imagine an airplane that went wherever the wind took it - who knows where it would eventually land? And the flight itself would likely be stressful and uncertain.

I believe it is important that we distinguish and set the right values as a guiding principle in which to live by. When setting values in one's life, everyone has a different definition of what "best" means to them. For some people, good health is an absolute must. For others, being compassionate is what's most important, while for others material gain and recognition in society tops all else. And for each of these values, every person is at a different point along their own continuum.

I supposed the list of our values with it's priorities may end up looking something like this:

Love

Health

Wealth

Happiness

Comfort

Success

Security

Learning

Peace

Adventure

I believe knowing a person's values hierarchy, gives us a fair chance of predicting their behavior. If this person lives true to her values, she'll lead a life focused on peace, love, and intimacy above all else. Her relationships (both with herself and others) will be extremely important to her, and she'd never put career success above her family.

On the other hand, let's say this person prioritized her values in the exact opposite order.  What kind of person is this? Now we have someone who's probably very career-oriented, perhaps an entrepreneur. She will lead a very different life than the person with peace as her top value. Succeeding and becoming wealthy is more important to this person than personal relationships, so if she has a choice between advancing in her career or staying close to the people in her life, she'll almost always put her career first.

I've been thinking about the people I really resonate with. Do they have the same values as I do? What about the ones who don't? Can I accept the fact that each person is shaped in different ways, yet able to understand and learn not to judge? Personal relationships versus material gain. I supposed I need to learn that even though I may not be able to accept some people's behavior, I certainly need to try to understand them the best way I can. This is called tolerance?

Having said the above, I believe there are certain sets of values which we shouldn't compromise.  I call it the core values that shapes our personality:

God centered

Trustworthiness

Respect - for self and others

Integrity

Responsibility

Fairness

Concern

Harmony of purpose

Without such values or beliefs, we would be driven here and there by the vicissitudes of life and compelled to action solely by our urges and passions. There would be little consideration for truths we hold dear, let alone implement them to ennoble and enrich our lives. Our lives would be without meaning or purpose.