🧡 Your Values. Your Decisions. Your Path.
If I were to ask you what your values are, could you give me a clear, well thought-through answer? You know, values that are really authentically your own?
And if I asked you if you actively align your choices and decisions with those values, what would you share with me?
For me personally, living as closely as possible to my own values is one of my life goals.
Why?
Living in alignment with your values allows you…
→ to live as your authentic self.
→ to make decisions with confidence.
→ to notice when you are off track and instantly see why.
Knowing your own values + trying to live by them allows you to pave your own unfolding PATH with clarity and intention.
It's the opposite of walking through life feeling frazzled, overwhelmed and disconnected.
You values serve as a grounding force, a tool to help you not get lost and if you do, find your way back!
Your values are a really sweet way to understand yourself more intimately and to feel grounded in your sense of self.
Let me give you an example:
When I first started my coaching practice in 2012 and really leaned into identifying my own values, it became very clear to me how important GENEROSITY is to me.
Not only did I value generosity in my friends, but I also loved feeling generous with them. It felt like a win-win.
And even when a particular person wasn't generous back, someone else would show up showing me unexpected generosity.
Generosity felt magically magnetic.
And let me be clear: I am not just talking about material generosity, but much more so about generosity in our conversations, interpretations, and perspectives.
It's the opposite of what cancel culture is.
Cancel culture, the way I see it, is about nit-picking, judging, blaming, and waiting to be offended. It's about watching out for the negative and seeing things in black and white. It's the opposite of compassion and requires zero resilience or willingness to listen, explore or elaborate.
Living with a generous mind, on the other hand, is about living with an expanded, open, willing-to-learn perspective.
It allows you to interpret people and their behavior in ways that leaves room for context. It encourages you to see others not just in their momentary appearance but as individuals who are shaped by their greater life experiences. It focuses on looking for the good in people. It allows you to listen and stay even if you don't agree.
I am not saying that this generosity knows no end or limit. Of course, not. You must remain mindful and deliberate. Living generously isn't about turning a blind eye, never disagreeing or silencing your own voice, or not having boundaries when they are needed.
Knowing that generosity is one of my top values (along with a few others) makes it so much easier for me to decide on what I want to say YES and NO to. It helps me navigate work decisions, relationships, how I want to parent, all the way to how I can best care for myself.
It makes living more intuitive.
So let me ask you:
What are your values?
Have they changed over time?
Do you live in alignment with them today?
How can you live in greater harmony with your values?
And now: Hit REPLY and let me know what your values are in this stage of your life and WHY it is a value of yours 😊
I cannot wait to hear from you!
Warmly,
Caroline