Guided by values
Being guided by your values will provide a level of unique support, and it’s support that you’re giving to yourself.
Timeless wisdom
Did you know that humans have been making new year resolutions for over 4,000 years?
For some reason, I find this historical fact reassuring because I had assumed that resolutions were actually capitalist culture telling me I needed to improve something about myself. But no! A quick Google search taught me that the practice was started by the Babylonians (who lived in what is now Iraq), continued by the Romans, and then eventually practiced by European Christians in the mid 1700’s. All of those traditions included setting intentions to one’s higher power and often involved repaying debts or returning what someone else has shared with you.
It’s been years since I set new year resolutions for myself; I prefer to set intentions and goals along the way, not at one specific time. Instead of a specific goal, I’m more motivated by principles or values. And, once I set an intention or value, I return to it often as a way to check in with my own wellbeing and assess whether I’m contributing to the world in ways that I feel good about.
A way of being
Brené Brown defines values as “a way of being or believing that we hold most important.” You probably won’t be surprised to know that values are very important to me; I consider them an extension of how I want to show up, especially as I hold both roles of positional power and unearned privileges due to my social location. At various points in my life (the first being when I was about to graduate with my MSW) I have taken the time to identify and define my values. After creating my first value statement as a new social worker, I went back to that document every time I started a new job or on a work anniversary for years after.
The practice of returning and reaffirming my values has helped me during times when I didn’t know how to handle a situation or relationship dynamic, when I questioned my own beliefs or behaviors, and when I wanted to decide if it was time to try something new. It acts as a foundation that both guides and inspires me, and I feel motivated to continue the practice as the worlds around me and within me evolves and changes.
Guided by our values
Feel ready to determine what your own values are? I’ve created a handout that shares four ways to create your value statement. Being guided by your values will provide a level of unique support, and it’s support that you’re giving to yourself. Before the month is over, I’ll be walking through the first practice myself - it’s been a few years since I formally checked in with my own values, and this is a great time to do it again.
