Ricardo Barriga

Have you ever found yourself feeling unfulfilled, even after achieving significant milestones in your life? Maybe you’ve secured a prestigious job, purchased your dream home, or built a thriving business, yet something still seems to be missing. The key to unlocking a deeply satisfying life might lie in something fundamental yet often overlooked: your values.

Understanding Values

Values are the fundamental beliefs that guide our decisions and actions. They serve as the internal compass that leads us toward a life filled with purpose, meaning, and true happiness. Unlike goals, which are specific outcomes we strive to achieve, values are the enduring principles that shape those goals and influence our daily choices. As Gandhi wisely said, “Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.”

The Importance of Values

When our lives are in harmony with our values, we experience a profound sense of inner peace, authenticity, and fulfillment. Decisions become clearer, and we gain confidence in our choices. On the other hand, when we live in contradiction to our values, it can lead to feelings of guilt, stress, and a pervasive sense of dissatisfaction. As Albert Einstein once noted, “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”

Discovering Your Core Values

The journey to a values-based life begins with identifying your core values. Here’s a simple exercise to help you uncover yours:

1. Reflect on your life experiences: Consider times when you felt truly fulfilled, joyful, or proud. What qualities or behaviors were central to those moments?
2. Identify your role models: Think about the people you admire. What values do they exemplify?
3. Create a value list: Write down any values that resonate with you. These might include qualities like honesty, compassion, freedom, growth, family, or creativity.
4. Prioritise your values: Rank your list to identify which values are most important to you. This will help you pinpoint your core values. As Roy E. Disney famously said, “When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.”

Living in Alignment with Your Values

Once you’ve identified your core values, the next step is to weave them into your everyday life. Here are some practical ways to do so:

• Set value-aligned goals: Ensure that your personal and professional goals reflect your core beliefs and principles.
• Make conscious choices: Regularly evaluate your decisions through the lens of your values to ensure they align. As Oprah Winfrey says, “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”
• Surround yourself with supportive people: Build relationships with those who share your values, as they can provide encouragement and reinforcement.
• Prioritise self-care: Taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional health is crucial to living a life that aligns with your values.

By understanding and living according to your values, you can craft a life that is not only successful but also deeply meaningful and fulfilling. Your values are uniquely yours, so embrace them and create a life that truly reflects who you are. As Mark Twain beautifully put it, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”