The way we live our lives is heavily influenced by our core values. We may be conscious of this process; we may not. But, deciding on core values and living our life by them can help us to become a better version of ourselves.
To begin living your life by a value, you need to understand what a value is – to you – and how that changes your approach to the world.
In this post, there are three core value pairs that you can live by. I’ve included my own definition for each, including how they can alter your view of the world and how you can live your life by them.
Honesty and Integrity
Definition: To speak the truth whenever possible, to keep your word and do what you say you’ll do, and to not live a lie.
Approaching the world with this value means that you’ll see people in a better light. It’s easier to trust and respect people, and for them to do the same for you. Living with this value pair feels good. All of your actions feel like the right thing to do; just. A ‘consequence’ of this is that if you have to do something ‘wrong’, you won’t feel good about it.
How to live your life with Honesty and Integrity:
- Speak the truth. Don’t lie, unless for a good cause.
- Always keep your word. If you say you’ll do something, do it. This counts for both things you say to yourself and things you say to others.
- If you say you’ll start your diet next week, do so. If you’re living by these values, be more cautious of what you say, as you know you’ll have to follow up. Saying ‘I’ll work Saturday’ isn’t specific and can either be completed with 10 minutes of work or 8 hours. ‘I’ll work for 2 hours on Saturday’ is much more specific and makes it easier to stick to your word.
- Don’t be late for meetings or appointments.
- See things through to the end.
Positivity and Optimism
Definition: To see the world in a positive way. To look for the best in people and situations. To always (or usually) focus on the good, rather than the bad.
When you live by these values, the world seems like a better place. You see the good in people and situations, which makes it much easier to be happy. Doing so also helps make other people around you happier.
Living with positivity and optimism will present you with more opportunities for success and growth. Rather than seeing things as a failure or inherently bad, you’ll see areas for improvement and what worked well.
How to live your life with Positivity and Optimism:
- Consciously look for the good.
- Use positive reinforcement on both your own actions and those of others.
- Smile more often, at both yourself and other people.
- Change the content you consume so that it feeds this attitude. Instead of listening to news stories of people and the world suffering every day, switch to more uplifting content.
Perseverance and Determination
Definition: To keep going when things are tough. To not quit. To stick with things until they’re done.
This core value pair is my favourite of the three. When you approach the world with Grit, perseverance and determination, you’ll grow stronger. Obstacles become opportunities for growth. Setbacks aren’t discouraging. Every challenge is a way for you to improve yourself and your life.
By seeing things through until the end, you create mental toughness and prove to yourself that you’re a doer. You can do anything if you set your mind to it.
How to live your life with Perseverance and Determination:
- Never give up!
- Remember: Quitters never win. Winners never quit.
- If something is challenging, and your current approach isn’t working, take a step back, reassess, then try again with a new tactic.
- Motivate yourself by thinking about how good you’ll feel once the task is completed.
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