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Inspiration | Life
The Power of Your Values
Living by Design: A Path to Personal Fulfillment
Values, values, values. Some companies emphasize their values endlessly, outlining them in their mission and vision statements. But what do values mean to us as individuals? Do they genuinely matter in our daily lives? Absolutely! Understanding them can lead to a more fulfilling and enriched life. Let’s uncover what values are all about.
What exactly are values?
Many people are unclear about values and their significance, partly due to misunderstandings about their meaning and utility. According to the Oxford Languages online dictionary, values are defined as:
- the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.
- a person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life.
Values are inherently valuable based on these definitions, especially the second one. But why do they matter? They matter because they affect everything you do and your direction in the future.
Much of the misunderstanding of the importance of values is that we often take them for granted because they are so deeply ingrained in our identities. Amidst the pressures of today’s world, we seldom pause to reflect and actively shape our lives. We get so caught up in the day-to-day we miss the bigger picture.
Let’s begin our investigation into values by finding where they originate. The words of Mahatma Gandhi clearly show this:
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
At the core of your existence lie your beliefs. What you believe shapes your words, actions, and destiny. Your values form deep inside you, affecting your life and future. They sound pretty important, don’t they?
Finally, I’ve always loved the English author William Ralph Inge’s wisdom regarding our values: “The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values.” If only…
