Living Your Values

Improve your life by living your values.

^….…that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Deuteronomy 6:2

A person who knows his own values, beliefs, and principles is much more likely to be a good leader than someone who does not know himself or chooses to remain blind to his ethics and values. And who you are being is only determined by knowing your values. Understanding values is key leadership ability. Leaders are unlikely to create commitment if they do not understand their own values as well as the values that others may hold dear.

Living your values means consciously choosing a value-based approach to life and acting out that approach on a day-to-day basis. To live your values means to become more honestly aware of yourself and to live in closer harmony with your beliefs. Talking about values may have very little to do with living your values. Ultimately, your values are identified by what you do, not by what you say. Daily values are things, conditions, or priorities that become evident through the actions we take to get or to keep them.

A values’ framework is at the very heart of our decision-making process; without it, we lose confidence in our decisions. We feel unsure or uneasy about many choices. Decisions made on personal values tend to be made with more commitment than those based on purely situational factors. Commitment to clearly stated values leads to living those values.

Several factors make living our values difficult.

• Fear of Failure. Without values and ideals, we can never fail. Making a commitment to a value involves risks to one’s self-esteem if the value is not adhered to.
• Fear of change. People fear the unknown and are contented with the status quo.
• Fear of not being ready. Apparently this is a major drawback to a lot of us. We always fear to venture saying that we need more time.
• Lack of Self-Awareness. It is difficult to live our values if we are not certain about who we are and what our priorities are.
• Lack of Knowledge. Being knowledgeable about options helps us to broaden our perspectives. From the platform of informed choice, we are better able to clarify goals.
• Personal Accountability and Choice. To live our values implies a sense of responsibility and choice within our environment.

Values God looks for in the life of a real man:

1. Compassion: Men who put people before profits
2. Consistency: Men who put character before conformity
3. Cooperation: Men who put cooperation before competition
4. Commitment: Men who put the cause of Christ before comfort
5. Courage: Men who put service before security

Other values that we can live and will help us in our lives include:

• A simple lifestyle.
• A spiritual dimension of life.
• Good communication skills.
• One’s attitude.
• Respect for human life and other moral values.

Values add character and substance to your personality, which in addition to your style, is what will drive how you use your potential. Knowing your values also gives you precious insight into your strengths and your flaws. When you identify your own strengths and limitations, it is easy to recognize them in other people as well.

To become committed to a value, we must feel empowered to choose among options. It means choosing those things we would like to pay more attention to and letting go of those do not add value to us.

Living your values will help you to set your priorities and goals, which in turn will help you to express what you want from others.