Ponderings (March 2008) - “VALUE”

According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary …

Value is "... the amount of money something is worth; worth, utility, or importance in comparison with something else; something (as a belief) that is valuable or desirable …”

Sharing my thoughts …

I have a friend who works for a company whose values are very different from her own.  She’s not happy there; but, she does not want to give up her benefits and start all over with a new employer.  At the end of the work day it’s not uncommon for her to have a headache or feel tense.  She believes that staying with this company is her best choice, and yet her body and emotions cannot ignore that this choice is incongruent with her values.  When your choices and actions are not congruent with your values, then you experience discord, discontentment and even physical aches and pains.  However, when you are able to make choices that are aligned with your values, you experience a sense of happiness and contentment.  By being true to your values you are honoring and valuing yourself.  How do your daily choices align with your values?

Questions to ponder …

1. How do you value yourself? 
2. What 5 things do you value most in your life?
3. What do your actions indicate about your values?
4. How have your values evolved over the last 10 years?
5. How can you keep your actions aligned with your values?
6. What value do you bring to your work?  To your family life?
7. How do you feel when your actions are not congruent with your values?
8. How do you spend your time and money?  Does this align with your values?
9. What does your personal environment (home and office space) say about your values?
10. What choice can you make this year to fix a situation that is misaligned with your values?

Related quotes …

Until you value yourself, you won't value your time.  Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.  [M. Scott Peck]

Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.  [Albert Einstein]

Personal leadership is the process of keeping your vision and values before you and aligning your life to be congruent with them.  [Stephen Covey]

It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.  [Roy Disney]

The value of life is not in the length of days, but in the use we make of them; a man may live long yet very little.  [Michel de Montaigne]