12 Values and Beliefs to Guide Your Life
This is a guest post by Cathy Taughinbaugh of TreatmentTalk.org.
Have you thought about your value system lately? What about your personal values.What about your cultural values?
“When changing your values to match your genuine character, you generate the positive energy required to attract people and a way of life that matches your true vibration, and a life of peace and serenity will become possible.” ~ Sherry Gaba
Many of us were taught when we were young to have certain standards of behavior, and that our value system reflects the kind of person we are. They were set by our family, friends, teachers and our environment. They reflected what our family or role models thought was important in life.
A value system can keep people moving along in life making good choices and being proud of who they are.
As we grew and moved into adolescence, many of us began to rebel against what we were taught. We questioned our core values and began to listen to our peers and the outside world. We may have lost sight of our true self.
Some, but not all of us may have succumbed to the outside influence and made poor choices that changed our course in life. We may have disconnected from our core values, and given in to choices that led to pain for ourselves and others. We may have given into our desires or cravings to the detriment of leading a healthy life. Sometimes this was a brief flourish of experimentation, sometimes it was much more.
When we make the decision to transform our life to something more meaningful, many of those original core values that we once though were important can become a foundation for a better life.
Different groups in our society have different value systems for their way of life. For example, a professional football player may have different values than a doctor. A teacher may have different values than her students.
A teenager in the 60’s might have different values than a teenager today. Scientists may have different values than an executive. Other cultures value different things in their society.
Good values are those that work for you at a certain moment in your life. You know when your values work for you because they speak to who you really are.
Your values can change as your life changes, and can be a road map that guides you through life. You will move in a more purposeful direction and the decisions you make based on your values will help you reach your goals. We are always learning and changing. Our values can change to meet our new purpose in life.
Here are some core values that some feel are important.
Accountability is being responsible and answerable to our behavior, and in doing so we create a sense of trust from others.
Appreciation is recognizing and enjoying the good qualities of someone or something, and all that life has to offer.
Authenticity is being honest, genuine and real. We show our true selves and do not compromise our values to be accepted by others.
Creativity is being able to go beyond traditional ideas, and create meaningful unexpected new ideas, by using our imagination.
Dependability is being able to demonstrate that we are reliable and worthy of trust. People know they can count on us.
Focus is being able to concentrate on a particular activity and give it our full attention. When you can “zero in” on a particular outcome, more often than not you will be successful.
Generosity is possessing the quality of being unselfish, kind, willing to share. There is no price tag on the satisfaction you get when you make someone’s life a bit better. The best way to be happy is by bringing happiness to others.
Honesty is being truthful, sincere and free from deceit or fraud. We cheat not only others, but ourselves when we are dishonest. We gain the respect of others when we are honest and feel good about ourselves.
Patience is having the capacity to accept delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset. Practicing patience with others really involves two things: compassion and acceptance.
Self-reliance is being able to rely on our own power and resources and not those of others. Those that do the best in life realize early on that no one is going to save them. When we rely on ourselves, we become strong.
Tolerance is being willing to accept another’s opinion or behavior that we do not necessarily agree with. It allows us to be open.
Willingness to Explore – We are open and willing to listen to new ideas and try new things which gives us the opportunity to have an interesting life filled with rich, rewarding experiences.
What do you stand for? What would you be willing to defend?
Cathy Taughinbaugh writes on addiction, recovery and treatment atTreatmentTalk.org. You can also follow her on Facebook at Treatment Talk and twitter @treatmenttalk.
Category: Personal/ Spiritual Growth
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Great stuff, Cathy! I agree with Tess that love is the #1 value. I believe that love and fear are the end-opposing life values that constantly pull me toward their poles. My daily task is to align myself early on with love so that when the fear-based moments present themselves, I can say, "no thanks, not interested."
I was speaking with a friend today about a situation she's about to enter that could zap her good energy and would be a feeding ground for negativity in most people. Her response? "One of my life covenants is to take God with me wherever I go. I believe I AM the peace that enters any room."
How's that for core values?
B Well!
Hi Andrew,
It is wonderful to be open to life and to let things flow freely. You will have many experiences that you might not otherwise have had the opportunity to enjoy. To experience each day as if it were the first, in my opinion is an amazing value.
Our value system is what we each decide we want it to be and what works for us. Sometimes we choose to live by other's rules for example in a job situation, but certainly our values can be our own. Having our own authentic values allows us to be true to ourselves. Thanks for your comment.
Glad you enjoyed it and hope it can be help. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Cathy, thank you for sharing these values.
I agree that it's important to have a value system, but mine is a bit of a paradox because value #1 is to be open to life and let it flow freely... to experience each day as if it was my first. But I guess that is kind of the opposite of a value :)
You mentioned rebelling against what we were taught, questioning our core values. That, I think is how we discover our true self, not how we lose sight of it. The only way you could ever go wrong, or lose sight of your true self, is by surrendering yourself to someone else's rules.
Excellent article, Cathy. I think the one that will never change for me is honesty. I'm just not any good at remember lies.
Hi Glynis,
Recently I heard someone mention that the older you get, the more honest you need to become because it's too difficult to remember your lies.
On a more serious note, honesty is an important value and if you don't have that, it would be hard to stand up for much else. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Steven,
It is important to question our values and come up with a system that works for who we really are. We were all raised with a set value system. Some of the those values will be with us forever and others we need to trade in for something more meaningful. It is an ongoing process. Thanks for your comment.
Hey Cathy, this is a really important post. I truly believe that having a good value system is one of the most important aspects of achieving a happy and fulfilling life.
I think it's very natural that we question the original values taught to us, often because many of them are wrong. Even though our schools, parents, and friends may have our best interests at heart, the truth is that we always need to discover our values for our self. Not until our values match our own reason and beliefs can we truly be dedicated to achieving those values.
Thanks for the thoughts!
Hi Chris,
Interesting study. That would make sense as our expectations can drive our behavior. As a former teacher we would set high expectations, and watch the students rise to the occasion.
We need people who challenge the status quo! Without people like you who think outside the box, our world would not grow and improve. Thanks for your comment.
Hey Justin. Talking about values is such a worthwhile topic.
There was a pretty cool psych study known as the Pygmalion Effect, where researchers went into the school system and told the teacher that 3 of their students had extremely high potentials. In actuality these students were chosen at random, but 3 months later when the researchers came back they noticed that those 3 were performing better then the rest of the class.
The belief the teacher created around those students created the reality of higher performs. In essence beliefs create reality.
So it is incredibly important to shape your beliefs!
I value and believe in challenging the status quo and thinking differently, constantly.
Great post Justin!
Whoops sorry Cathy..I read over that this was your guest post! That explains all your comments = ) Great post Cathy!
I would defend love. I think we're all on earth to learn to love without conditions and limits. In order to do so non-judgement and forgiveness are daily requirements. Nice post Cathy.
Hi Tess,
Love is a good one for sure. I believe it is the bottom line for all that we do. If we all lived our life based on love for others as well as ourselves, our world would be a better place. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Marcus,
When we let go of worrying about what other people think, we free ourselves to be authentic, which leads to a much more fulfilling life. We can get sidetracked by trying to go along with the group, but hopefully we recognize that at some point and realize the importance of being true to ourselves. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Andrew,
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Cathy,
I enjoyed reading your post. Knowing what's important to us defines how we live our lives.
Sometimes I find people get confused between what they really value and what they would like to value. It takes being very honest with oneself if you don't want to end up living someone else's values.
When we no longer mind what others think about us is when we are free to be true to our values for real.
~Marcus
That's an excellent list of values to reflect on. I've noticed that as I age my value have changed in a positive way. I suspect that maturity helps one identify what's real and important in life. Thank you.
Riley
Hi Riley,
I agree with your comment. As we age and experience life, we have the chance to reflect and decide what is really important in our life. Thanks for your comment.
Great post, Cathy - I just visited your website, too.
I like that creativity can be considered as a core value i one's life. Creativity can really improve one's life and others' too. I mean, if we focus on positivity then we'll be away from the negatives that could ruin us. If that makes sense at all? I knew of a kid who after some issues started drawing a lot - he had such talent - and it really helped him to grow and calm his personality.
but the most important is authenticity..... if you're authentic at ;east you can live life to the fullest. I pity those who feel the need to lie and alter the truth just to feel a bit better.
Great post, again!
Gabi
Hi Gabriella,
I appreciate you visiting Treatment Talk. Creativity is a wonderful way to bring focus to our lives. We all have creativity, but some express it while others bury it. Our creativity is there waiting for all of us when we are ready.
I agree that being authentic is the only way to live a fully satisfying life. Thanks for your comment.
great post cathy
if we can all live by these values and other good ones then certainly we will create a better world
keep it up :)
Hi Farouk,
It would be helpful, wouldn't it if everyone could chose some of these and other aspiring values. We would be in a better world situation.
Thanks for you comment.
I'd say values ARE what make relationships possible, and when they are off, the relationship will be off in about five seconds flat.
Hi Joe,
It helps in a relationship to have two clear, authentic people who are able to express how they feel. Some waver, at times, with what they believe ln because they want the relationship more than they want to be true to themselves. I agree, this will not make for a lasting relationship. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Cathy, I enjoyed your views on values and beliefs. I stand for the values of authenticity, creativity and self-mastery. They are things that I often share on my site. I hope that it will also attract readers who resonate with the same or appreciate these values too.
Hi Evelyn,
Those are wonderful values that reflect who you are, and that anyone would appreciate. It's helpful that you have a clear understanding of what you stand for. Thanks for your comment.
I believe in investing my time and energy into those things that Itruly value, rather than not just what I have been taught to value.
Someone once said that you can look at two indicators to determine what it is you value most: your checkbook and your date book. "Where are you investing your money and your time" has been a powerful question to ask my clients when I detect conflict in what they are telling me.
Invest in what matters most today and we will feel our degrees of aliveness expand.
Hi Rachel,
I like that idea of looking at your checkbook and datebook. That makes perfect sense to look at what you doing with your time and money as an indicator of what you are doing with your life.
Thanks for comment.
Hi Ken,
Generosity is an important value that means helping others, and we can be generous to ourselves as well. We can go along in life and not give much thought to the values that we think are important, but it helps to remind ourselves occasionally what is important to us. Thanks for your comment.
Great list of values. Generosity, for example, is not only important for our own happiness, but a society and life generally works so much better with more people living with more generosity. Thanks for the reminder to live a life of integrity to high values.
Hi,Cathy,
I liked your views on values and guidance through life. You are right, we were all thought to have some sort of evaluating system, and many of us even became rebels against it, as we tried setting up our own standards. Unfortunatelly, many people make poor choices when they decide to change paths in their life, and, for me, that means they are not true to themselves. We should be honest and never compromise the values we stand for, just to be accepted by others.
Hi Kristina,
This is a challenge, especially for teenagers who want so desperately to fit in. We all go through that awkward period, some handling it better than others. As we become adults, and we find our place in life, it is important to think about about our values and what we stand for from time to time.
Thanks for you comment.
Hi Cathy,
I really enjoyed your post on values and beliefs. I would have to say that my core values such as freedom in life and simplicity have remained with me since childhood while many limiting beliefs that I carried with me have been removed.
Values and beliefs define who we are so I find it useful to re-evaluate them from time to time.
Hi Justin,
First, thanks so much for this guest post opportunity. You have a wonderful blog that I know is helping so many.
We do need to re-evaluate our values from time to time and they do change with time. We obtain some values from our family and early environment, but our outlook can be different as we learn and grow from our experiences.
