What Are Values?

Values are our most defining beliefs and emotional memories held in the heart and inspired by the soul. They are the core principles that drive our greatest passions.  Values are created and cultivated early in life.  All our experiences encountered as children, home surroundings and people that influenced our thinking shaped these deep-seated emotions. Values are the heart-wired understandings we take with us everywhere.  They are considered by many as our most defining “feeling” qualities. Just as athletic skills become more natural with repetition, our values are reinforced whenever an event triggers a sensitive memory cataloged away in our heart.

Scientists define emotion as “energy in motion.” Our emotions form patterns and imprint(s) on the brain that influence human behavior.  Over time and with continuous repetition of thought, our values ultimately drive our decisions and choices we make in life. They sway the relationships with the people we choose to keep or avoid.  Some of the most important decisions we have or ever will make will be based on what our heart intuits or values as right or wrong. Values impact how we see the world and our response(s) to every situation that unfolds before us.

Simply stated, values are our inner core truths that inspire how we see and react to the external world around us.

Listening to What Our Heart Signals

All we experience in life can bring us happiness or anxiety depending on how we choose to live our values.  So deeply connected to the soul, our values never leave us although we can choose to abandon them. It can be easier to stay silent on an issue rather than speak up with resilience. Listening to what our heart tells us and boldly speaking our truths takes courage.  According to author Sue Bender, “Listening to your heart is not simple.  Finding out who you are is not simple.  It takes a lot of hard work and courage to get to know who you are and what you want.”

The heart is our antennae that keeps us focused on what really matters.  It lets us know when we fall off track.  Unlike the mind, the heart never loses sight of who we are.  If life’s pressures overwhelm us, we can be reminded by getting quiet enough to listen to our heart speak our truths.  The heart remembers everything, all our joy and pains.  Caring for the heart is vital to our happiness.  After all, it is here where courage, forgiveness, and compassion live.  Proverbs 4:23 tells us “above all else, guard our heart because everything we do flows through it.”

The heart is our guide to staying true to who we are and what we believe.  When we don’t follow what the heart signals, we find ourselves whirling in a pool of wishful after thoughts.  We are left thinking about all we should have said or done. How many times do we find ourselves wanting another chance to express what we really feel. However with inner development, we can learn how to actively seek our heart intuitions first before tuning into logical mind thinking.  This is the wise path taken by the values driven leader.  

Values Uniquely Define Us

There are foundation values we all have in common.  For example, nothing can ever be more important than family.  Family is everything. Most people value kindness and compassion toward others.  Digging deeper we will discover a unique set of values that set each of us apart.  They are the distinctive set of passionate beliefs or “drivers” that spark the reasons why we choose to speak up on certain issues and not others. Perhaps when growing up your best friend was bullied at school. As a teenager, you witnessed the pain your friend felt.  Those hurtful memories could never be forgotten. They become value drivers.

As an adult, you actively vocalize your views against the slightest sign of bullying.  Everyone has a different set of core value drivers that greatly influence behavior.  Ultimately, they shape the type of leader we become, boundaries, decisions and how we influence the people around us.

Living and Leading by Values

We benefit in so many ways when we live and lead from our values. There is a centering peace and inner aliveness that comes with knowing the core beliefs that define us. We are able to discern with greater clarity where to invest (or not) our attention, giving, talents and love.  Leading by our values allows meaning, and purpose to flow into our life. The people around us are able to better understand who we are by knowing what we value most. Leading from values is essential to effective leadership, building a strong character and living a life of integrity. Values are the force driving the ability to stand by our guiding principles even in the face of fear or doubt.

In prayer, we can ask God to help us live according to His values.  In Psalm 15, King David asks, “Lord, who may be a guest in your home and live on your holy hill?” The Lord answers, whoever lives a blameless life, speaks the truth from his heart, does what is right and speaks honestly…will never be shaken.”  Since God is the source for all that is good, just and loving, we can turn towards Him to guide our path when making value based decisions. The Lord taught us to value those things that bring us eternal reward.  He said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Scripture reminds us of just how important the heart is.  Both the Old and New Testament teach us the most important role of the heart – it is where God dwells.

Reflection Questions:

• What are your core value drivers?
• How do you want to be known by others?
• What values are you known by now?
• What gets in the way of living or leading from your values?