Knowing your personal values, or core values is a foundational pillar of practicing a Be Braver mindset.
Value your roots, for the strength and courage they offer you.
Your values are beliefs or principles that guide your actions and decisions.
We liken them to superpowers in Be Braver, or the lenses through which you make sense of the world.
If you don’t yet think you could name them, you’d certainly be able to identify them if you act out of alignment with them, or if someone crosses or conflicts with one of yours.
Being able to operationalise or live in alignment to your own values, offers you joy and abundance. It can be difficult and uncomfortable at times, like any practice. But will also be the way you become the best version of you, help you make sense of the uncertain decisions you have to make.
It seems such an obvious thing to be able to articulate them, yet so many have never paused to take them time to think about it. Many find it transformational when they do. Get very creative about it to - there are numerous ways you can bring them to life visually to act as prompts and reminders about the person you are becoming.
When life present decisions where none of the choices look good, your values will help you find the way. When you have an abundance of options and are fortunate to be spoilt for choice, again looking through your values will offer you a perspective that makes action clearer.
They are the root source of the strength upon which we draw, when we choose courageous actions and decisions.
When we learn to Be Braver in service to becoming our best self.
How to identify your personal values
Put some time aside, but don’t expect to bash a list out all out in one go. You’ll need to think, reflect and come back to it most likely.
Think about someone you truly admire, what are the values and qualities that are so striking about them? Write down the words that jump out. The values you see in them.
Tap in to a time or moment in your life when you’ve felt utterly in your zone. What values were present in that experience? Note down the key words. (We use a prompt sheet in our programme which sometimes can help - you can source one online if you get stuck to get you going)
What about a time when something or someone really jarred that you found very testing. What values was this an example of being conflicted?
Notice a time when you were faced with a difficult decision. What values guided your decision-making process? Capture those.
Imagine you are wearing a philosophers gown and share the values you think are necessary for a fulfilling and meaningful life? Write them down.
Cluster the words you have in to themes and look for groupings. Do some mean similar things? Think about what the definition of the words mean to you. So you know what they mean in practice as you define them
Aim to define around 10 that are most important to you. These should be the values that if you overheard someone using to describe you, would make you feel were the perfect articulation of the person you are becoming.
One last check. Are these really yours? Be 100% there aren’t any here that you think you ‘should’ have here. That might be family, culture, religion, peer groups. These need to be yours, not what you think they ought to be. If there are any that aren’t yours. Remove them. You own you.
Sit with them. Reflect on them. Notice how they do or don’t show up in your every day. What is neglected, what if ever present.
This is just the beginning. How you operationalise them - use them abundantly will transform not only your own growth, but what you give and offer to the world and those around you.
With regular reflection and paying attention and to you values, you will be able to begin to make decisions that align with your beliefs and lead a more authentic and fulfilling life. You will start to be able to do uncomfortable and courageous things.
To take risks, face fears. You will begin to be braver.