“Core values serve as a lighthouse when the fog of life seems to leave you wandering in circles; when you encounter that moment where every decision is a tough one, and no choice seems to clearly be the better choice.”
― J Loren Norris
Source – https://quotestats.com/topic/lighthouse-leadership-quotes/
Values are the foundation of our character and self-awareness. When our thoughts, words and actions are aligned with our values, we are at peace and in harmony with ourselves. When they are not aligned, we experience inner conflict which will keep gnawing at us till we make amends and align ourselves.
Values are of 2 types
1 – Character values – They have a moral / ethical or a right / wrong associated with them and are associated with being a good human being. Integrity, compassion, courage are some examples of character values.
2 – Personal Values – These values are unique to the individual, and may not have a right / wrong or ethical component associated with them. For e.g., adventure, challenge, security, stability, humour, career, success, work-life balance. A cricketer, who is so passionate about cricket that his entire life revolves around cricket, might list cricket as a personal value. It is such an integral part of his life that it is no longer just a sport, it has transformed into a value. For a music composer, music could be a deeply held value. Some of the things that we are deeply passionate about may transform into a value for us.
Here is a list of questions that will help you develop more clarity around your values:
- What is so important to you in life, that you would find it difficult to live without it? Or, what is your oxygen in life? It could be more than one.
- When do you feel most fulfilled? Think of some of your most fulfilling and happy moments. Which values were being honoured?
- What makes you feel depleted and sad? Think of some of your unfulfilling and unhappy moments. Which values were being violated?
- What makes you angry? Are there some core values being violated?
- Have you received feedback like “You are overdoing / obsessed with / crazy about __xxxxx__. Which value was being referred to? This could be a core value for you. At times we may go into overdrive with a cherished value.
Go to this link https://www.viacharacter.org/ for an online questionnaire that will help you further clarify your character strengths or values.
You can add your personal values to these. Make a list of your top 10 values in order of importance. Then try refining the list to 6-7 of your top most values. This is an evolving process. Character values mostly remain stable throughout life, but may change due to life’s experiences and lessons. Personal values are slightly more liable to change based on our life stages. It’s useful to review our value list once every 4-5 years.
Self Reflection
After you have defined your list, answer the following questions for each value:
- How aligned are you with this value in your actions? How much are you practising this value in your life? (Rate on a 10 point scale, 0 is lowest, 10 is highest)
- What are the obstacles that are coming in the way of practicing the value? There could be many aspects of your own personality that maybe the obstacles.
- What are the actions you can take to get to a score of 10?
- What benefits will you receive if you are able to get to a score of 10 in reality?
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References:
https://quotestats.com/topic/lighthouse-leadership-quotes/
https://winningfutures.org/mentor/three-types-values-students-explore/
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