Your Best Self - Values

Welcome!

Very many of us are on a journey to become/be our Best Selves.  It is a noble undertaking yet what are we striving for exactly? Reaching our potential? Surpassing what we (and others) thought was possible for one life? Being happy!

Let’s look at the concept of becoming our Best Self, starting with values and needs.

Amy Cuddy, the author of Presence and the researcher behind this TED talk on using body language to shape your life, writes that “the wish to feel and be seen as ‘authentic’ seems like a basic human need,” and that “if our actions aren’t consistent with our values, we won’t feel we’re being true to ourselves.”

Individuals experience greater fulfillment when they live by their values.  When we don’t honor our values, our mental, emotional, and physical state suffers. They can represent our unique, individual essence.

My highest value is GOOD HEALTH AND FITNESS. I realize that I won’t have or be able to do much if my health is poor. Knowing this influences my behavior.  It gets me into bed on time at night, it motivates me to train and go for brisk walks.  It induces me to eat mostly healthy foods.  I create a life form that supports a healthy, energizing lifestyle.  Sometimes I get waylaid – but I always know where the correct track is and get right back on it.

Personal values are people’s internal conception of what is good, beneficial, important, useful, beautiful, desirable, constructive, etc. Values such as honesty, hard work, and discipline can increase a person’s efficacy and help them serve as a positive role model to others.

What are the 10 most important values for you? Number 1 is most important on down to 10.

If you don’t yet have an adequate concept of what values are:

Compassion    Productivity     Success     Humility

Discipline        Honesty           Wealth        Leadership

These are examples of values.

We learn our original values from our family and social network.  Sometimes these values don’t serve us well as we get older but we don’t realize that we can actually change them. 

Answer the following question to help consider what your actual values are:

What’s unique about you that leads to your happiest times or your best performances?

Give some thought to your present values.  Are they the values you want to keep or would other values bring you closer to the life you want to live?

If you strive to stay true to your values each and every day, you are working toward your Best Self.