I have had some pretty stressful thing happen in my life so far this year, but one really struck hard. I lost my Mom. Suddenly. What a shock it has been and how I wish I had one more month, one more week, one more good regular fun day.
This has me looking at what I really value and how I’m choosing to live my life.
Core values are something we all have. They are part of your character and dictate how you act and behave, especially in times of stress.
A person’s compass in life is what they care about, what they strive for, and what they are hoping for. Your answers show what you value at your core, and are incredibly essential.
So what exactly are core values? Values are descriptions of your character, what you are like, and how you behave. Core values hold strong no matter what, especially in times of high stress or difficult situations. Values are like your personal GPS, they help guide you through your decision to live the life you want.
My core values? I’ve narrowed it down to three, in no particular order:
Family. I value my family and the time I get to spend with them. This makes decisions sometimes very easy for me. IF it brings value to my family and spending time with them I’m all for it!
Joy. I value joy. I had a bit of a talk with a family member about joy and its obtuseness, so let me just say I find joy in the doing. I enjoy spending time with family, trying new things, getting away, and hearing funny stories and jokes from my kids. Things like these bring me joy.
Grace. I am a rather optimistic person. I think grace goes right along with that. There are many definitions of grace, but Websters’ has the most accurate for me: disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency. Whether extending grace or accepting grace I highly value what it can being to my life and those around me.
So there are three of mine. Now tell me your top three!
JennyLyn Little
Owner, Creator, Mom
From my list of foundational values:
Do no harm — Low-bar against which the expression or practice of any value should be measured.
Love diversely — Love not only unconditionally but honor those that may live differently.
Individual autonomy and empowerment — You are the master and judge of your own life. Live it as you see fit and allow others the same. You only do life “wrong” when you bind yourself to the terms set by someone else.