Personal Values and Self-Trust

Two of my personal guiding values are Love and Learning … although they are separate values, I often refer to my value of learning as a ‘love of learning’.

How about you? Do you love learning … or at least enjoy learning new things?

I believe wisdom is everywhere and I’m equally convinced that wisdom wants you to find it. All it takes is for us to intentionally seek wisdom – to find and create meaning in our everyday lives.

As humans we are meaning-makers. It is a natural part of our existence to try and make sense of the stuff that happens to us, The reality is, and I know you know this, we can’t control what happens to us. Sometimes stuff happens that we would rather it didn’t.

When Life Isn’t Easy

Throughout history, various people have advised us in different ways that “Life isn’t meant to be easy.” However, what is typically left off that piece of advice (which doesn’t really help us all that much), is that once you realise and accept that life isn’t easy, it can get a little easier.

For many of us, the COVID pandemic is placing restrictions on our way of life, and it’s impacting us in different ways. However, it seems that until there is a vaccine (and even as a realist-optimist I reckon it’s a lot further away than most people want to believe), we all need to discover ways to live with this situation … to accept that life isn’t easy.

I know, that’s easy for me to say, and I know it’s not so easy to do.

Building Self-Trust

This is where our personal values can help guide us in our actions and help us to seek and discover wisdom – even in difficult times. Our personal values are the foundation upon which our Self-Trust rests.

There’s a question I personally use to help me intentionally choose my actions … especially when I’m faced with a number of choices or decisions to make.

The question is this:

With this decision I’m about to make, or this action I’m about to take, would I make this decision or take this action if it were held up in the light of day for all to see?

This question is known as the ‘Sunlight Test’ or, as I refer to it, the ‘Light of Day Test’, and it challenges us to think mindfully about our choices, decisions and actions, and the impact of those choices, decisions and actions, not only on ourselves, but the impact they will have on others.

There’s another layer of consideration that I use in addition to the Light of Day test to help me with my choices, decisions and actions, and that is to also ask this:

How will this choice, decision or action demonstrate me living in alignment with my values?

Science validates that being clear about your personal values, especially in difficult times, positively impacts your sense of life-satisfaction and well-being.

Having clear personal values allows you to manage through the tough stuff and to make the appropriate choices and decisions and to take the appropriate actions that will guide you to being the best version of yourself and help you to live a meaningful, flourishing and prosperous life.

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