Embodying your Values

Why is it important to know my values? How can I live into them, what does that even mean? Good questions! I’m going to attempt an answer now, by giving personal examples from my life.

But first…
Do you even know what your values are? We have a tool that might help ~ {click here for our free values course}

My values are Freedom and Faith.
When I am living and working in my values, I feel rested, energetic, aligned in life. Things are peaceful, joyfilled, life feels easier.
But when I am living out of my values, I am restless, solemn, angry, life feels difficult.

So if I can pause you right there, if you do not know your values, please take our course. Or google Brene Brown Values and take hers! Take whichever one you can find, this is of the utmost importance. Do it now.

Faith Value: If I am not giving my best time to devotions, church, my bretheren, I will struggle.
Freedom Value: If I perceive I am being controlled, told what to do, pushed and pulled into too many directions, I will struggle.

Our values come into play everything we are saying yes or no to something.
You may want to explore some questions that next time you are asked to do something, shouldn’t take long for an invitation to come along!
Here are some questions I ask myself.

How will this impact my ability to live into my values?
Will I have to sacrifice my freedom, or will I miss church?
Will I find this routine too gruelling and quit, or will I be able to sustain this?
Why start something I can’t continue.
Will I be able to support my values in this new job?
Will this role cause me to compromise what is the most important to me?

If I have a good understanding of the reasons why my values matter and the consequences that arise from not living into them, it’s easier to make them a priority.

Nothing, even good things, will last if it doesn’t honour who we are and who we were made to be. Your values are a reflection of your purpose, your identity, they are core to your being.

I’ve heard them described as the yellow lines on a road. Stay within them. If you go outside the lines, you’ll hear those loud rumble strips on the highway when you’re veering off course. Don’t you wish we had those in life!

I believe we do, it’s our intuition, it’s a warning

‘hey girl, you’re approaching trouble, that’s not going to work, better get back on course’
’slow down, time to reflect, find some stillness’.

I hear it ALL the time. 'Whoa, oh, um, hey, wait, ok, I don’t think, yup um, nonono’

and sometimes it screams at me ’STOP! RIGHT! NOW!’ but only if I ignored it the first 20 times.

When we embody our values our rumble strips become much more apparent, much earlier in the process. We become practiced at hearing them and the frequency of the really loud warnings go down. Eventually we become able to see the rumble strips on the side of the road without even having to hit them.

If I can influence you to do anything, it’s get clear on your values. They are step one to creating that narrow road that is only meant for you.

—Tammy Zdunich