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 our core principles that guide our behavior and decisions. Values are the things that are important to us in the way we live and work. Values shape priorities, influence motivation, and determine how we treat others.

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.

This is why making a conscious effort to identify your values is so important. 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. Values play a critical role in shaping laws and social policy.

Some of our values will remain stable throughout our lives.  But it’s also possible that as you change, what you value may change. For example, when you start your career, success might be a top priority. But after you have a family, work-life balance may become more important to you.

How can you figure out what you value?

Think about what has made you happy in the past:

• What were you doing?
• Were you with other people? Who?
• What other factors contributed to your happiness?

What things are you most proud of?

• Why were you proud?
• Did other people share your pride? Who?
• 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.