When buried in non essentials we can lose track of what is truly significant. In these moments, I encourage patients to think about their values and allow these to guide them with choice.
Using guiding values like who we want to be, how we treat ourselves and others can point us toward the people and actions and habits that are best for us.
Without values we begin to wander aimlessly and we can take wrong turns, we become lost and we find ourselves trapped by indecision.
If we take a moment to think about the value behind the choice we are about to make, it becomes a value driven decision. In time it becomes instinctive so we make conscious choices about what matters and how much energy we devote to it.
Filtering out the opinions, expectations and obligations of others becomes easier. We don’t want to block them of course, as we want to learn from other people - the challenge is in doing so consciously.
Trust, Respect, Confidence, Determination, Honesty are some of my own values and what I admire in my family, friends and peers. Nonetheless, whatever they may be for each of us, they are the landmarks that we can use to guide us through our own life.
When we are not alone, it is nice to surround ourselves with people who fit well with our values.
Healthy Gut, Healthy Mind, Healthy Life.