Have you ever asked yourself what is the most important thing in your life?
I think each of us has thought about it. The answers could be completely different, because each of us is an individual and everyone is different. But there were probably those who could not answer this question.
One could answer that it is career, another – family, the third – health and for them it will be really so. A lot depends on our life values – our ability to make friends, to study, to choose a place of work, etc.
However, it often happens that after some actions there is a kind of restlessness and irritability. Many people are familiar with the expression “to act according to our conscience” as our heart tells us, and this is where these values come to our aid. They can be called our inner pointer, by which we check our steps in life.
So when does the formation phase of our values take place?
Throughout life – starting at a very early age, and finally forming around 18-20 years of age. Although even after that they may change in some respects. A significant role in the formation is played by our environment – family, friends, colleagues, as well as various national, religious and social views and traditions.
System of life values
What are life values?
The system of life values of a person, if briefly, can consist of several elements – these are:
- Universal values;
- Cultural values;
- Individual values.
The values indicated by the first ones are conditioned mainly by the general idea of people about what is good, what is bad, what is important, what is not, as well as by the peculiarities of the culture in which a person was born and brought up.
But individual values are purely subjective worldview peculiarities. Thus, to the general system of life values of a person can be attributed:
Health – it is one of the main life values shared by many people.
Success – another value that has been honored for a long time – getting a good education is a guarantee of a stable future, a successful career, etc.
Family – remains one of the main values of life for people all over the world.
Children – for the overwhelming number of people children continue to be the meaning of existence, and for some it becomes the purpose of life.
Also often there are such values as spiritual development, love, honesty, morality, closeness with close people, friends, self-confidence, freedom of judgment and actions, independence, work, corresponding to the purpose of life, respect and recognition of others, traveling around the world and discovering new places. There is a lot more to list here, but it is worth remembering that for each person life values can be different and in different priorities.
Reassessment of life values occurs in different periods of life. We are accustomed to call them crises, as a consequence there is a transformation of personality. It is then that a person goes into cognition of himself, his values, beliefs, principles, attitudes and the world around him, tries to learn his mission in life. After such crises, many people find new meanings in life.
How to define your life values
So how do you define your life values?
Of course, every value can be important to every person. These values unite all people in the world, because at least one of them intersects with your environment.
Not everyone can clearly say what values drive them. Most people have never thought about it at all, and some people just highlight the ones they have heard about, which shows that there is something to think about and something to work with.
There are a lot of techniques and methods for determining life values. I will share with you the simplest one.
Write down on a piece of paper everything that you consider important in your life, but important enough that you can’t live without it if it doesn’t happen.
The list of items can get quite long, but you need to revise it afterward. Ask yourself a question beside each item: “Will I really be unhappy without this, or can I give it up?”. If there is even the smallest doubt about any item, cross it out.
Cross it out until there are no more than ten items left on your list. The resulting list and can be considered a list of your main life values, based on which and follow in the future.
Remember that your core values are formed on the basis of everything that has happened in your life and include not only your personal opinions, but also the opinions of those people who mean something to you: parents and other family members, friends, teachers, professors, people you admire, etc.
In addition, features and trends in society, religious and otherwise, also play a role. For this reason, you should only rely on those points that are most important to you and that have shaped you as a person over the years.
Good luck with this, friends!