Part One: What Do We Value?

If I asked you to tell me what you value or what your most important values are, what would you say?

Hmm.  Tough question.  What are values? Values are the things that are important to us in the way we live and work. Values shape priorities, and they’re the measures we use to tell if our lives are going the way we want.

When the things that you do and the way you behave match your values, life is usually good. But when these don’t align, that’s when things feel out of balance. We all have values whether we’ve stopped to consider them or not. We exercise values everyday – such as when we choose friends, when we vote, and when we spend money. Life can be much easier when you acknowledge your values – and when you make plans and decisions that honor them.

Understanding your values can really help you make decisions about how to live your life, and you can answer questions like these:

• What career should I pursue?
• What subject should I study in school?
• Are my friends the best influence for me?  Am I the best influence for them?
• What things does society pressure me to care about that I really should let go of?
• Should I follow tradition, or travel down a new path?

We have personal values, but we also live in a society constructed by values.  We can look around to what we spend our time on, what we choose to consume of popular culture, and what leaders we elect.

Some of our values will be our north star guiding lights throughout our lives.  But it’s also possible that as we change, what we value may change. For example, when we start a career, success and making as much money as possible as quickly as possible might be a top priority. But after we choose a partner, have a family, or get close to retirement, work-life balance may become more important.

How can you figure out what you value?

• What makes you happy? What moments or situations can you recall?
• Were you with other people? Who?
• What other factors contributed to your happiness?
• What things are you most proud of?
• Who else has been proud of you?
• What other factors contributed to your feelings of pride?

These questions, as well as the readings, films, and assignments in our reading, will help us more clearly identify what is valuable in our lives. This is a key part of understanding our humanity.