“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” – Roy Disney

Becoming aware of your values gives your life a sharper focus and better clarity. Your most important values serve as a filter through which you make the choices that define who you are. If you are unhappy with certain areas of your life, look at your values to see if they are aligned with your actions.

Your life can become less stressful and more productive when you acknowledge your personal values – and then make the attempt to live by and honor these values regardless of the circumstances you encounter.

So, how do you discover your most essential values to live by?

Begin by making a list.

Think of the words, the values that are important to you. These values should be the ones that elicit the most emotion and feel right to your soul. Simply write them down and then prioritize the values based on how you see or want to experience life.

To encourage you to create a list of your values, here are 10 values that are essential to me. How I live; how I love and how I go about following what I believe is my life’s purpose is governed by these values. You are welcome to claim these essential values, too:

1. Commitment
   Commitment shows loyalty and it can show bravery and tenacity as well. A commitment is a promise made and an expectation we have created. Honoring our commitments can make the difference between achieving what’s most important to us or feeling disappointed and defeated.
2. Compassion
   We are all part of this thing called the human condition. No doubt we have different skin colors, religious preferences and political points-of-view, but at the end of the day, we still need to take care of one another.
3. Devotion
   Some days are just better than others. It’s the same way in our interpersonal relationships and in our faith. Things can get unstable at times, but staying devoted to a cause or to a person through the uncertain times is our rock to grasp when our faith and our foundation is shaky.
4. Effort
   No matter the outcome, there is always value in the effort when the effort is authentic and well-intended.
5. Gratitude
   It is with a grateful heart that helps me to see so much abundance in my life. My value of gratitude reminds me that what I have today can be taken away tomorrow.
6. Honesty
   To live authentically; to live honesty, keeps our hearts and souls pure and our minds free of doubt or uncertainty. When we are honest, we know we are doing the right things.
7. Integrity
   What defines our character and our integrity is not measured by what happens to us; but rather by how we react and respond to what happens to us.
8. Patience
   Patience is a value which can also improve productivity because it creates a better state of mind, a clearer state of mind, for better decision making.
9. Sacrifice
   Sometimes it’s appropriate to put someone else’s needs before your own. This is the meaning of sacrifice. Along with sacrifice comes some discomfort; perhaps even some pain. This is what makes sacrifice a value to live by.
10. Tolerance
    There are people who make us angry and we just can’t seem to see eye-to-eye with on an issue. Rather than showing contempt, tolerance is a better alternative. It shows respects, patience and courtesy – all important values in their own right, too.

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About Alex Blackwell
Alex Blackwell is a father, husband and writer.