Values: What Are they Good For? Absolutely Everything!

“Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave them all over everything you do.”  – Elvis Presley

In a world that seems to become more chaotic and hectic every day it’s easy to lose sight of the things that are really important to us. It’s easy to get caught up in all the to-do-lists, everyone’s schedules and all the little day-to-day challenges that make up our lives. It’s easy to lose connection to what drives us, our values. 

Values and value systems are the frameworks through which we consciously and often unconsciously engage with ourselves and the world around us. They influence our relationships, our decisions, and our goals. Values are one of the lenses through which we make meaning and define purpose.

When we’re young, our values are formed and influenced by our family and culture of origin as well as our ethnicity  or religious/spiritual practices. As we grow, our values are modified by our friend groups, education, choices and life experiences. Because of this everyone’s values are different and there is no right or wrong combination of them. Reviewing our values can help us better understand our choices and behaviors, how we show up in relationships, and how we regulate our emotions.

Not understanding, or living in misalignment with, our values can lead to confusion and distress. For example, someone who has a family and a high paying job and identifies two of their values as wealth and family may often finds themself torn between their job requirements and their connection to family. With further exploration this person may realize it’s the stability that money can often provide that they really value. This can lead them to examine how much wealth is needed to create that feeling of stability and if it’s possible to find a better balance between work and family connection. 

If you are interested in learning more about your values check out this Values Sort Activity. Please use this activity as a prompt to help reflect on what is important to you and how you live these values every day. If you would like more assistance, please reach out to the Wild Tree Wellness staff for support.  

Blog by Joy Strunk, Wild Tree Intern
Photo by Maksim Goncharenok via Pexels