Be an Anchor Of Your Values
Tale-1. A father of two baby girls is doctor, arrested during in apple pie order, under Pre-conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act for prenatal testing.
Tale-2. A minister arrested for corruption.
Tale-3. A man holding extraordinary educational qualifications and securing a rank in IQ test of well-known organisation was divorced for not balancing with family life and work life.
Can you think what need in these above stories was? Values! What do you mean ‘Value’? If you are thinking about An amount, answer of a mathematical equation etc. then simply stop. Open your mind (Not Dictionaries or Book) and think about it.Write somewhere the meaning you derived from your own mind about ‘Value’.
Before we go to the meaning, think about few items for ‘What is important to me?’ Physical appearance, family life, being honest, to have power (Political, Money etc.), respect, Marriage, Love, Satisfaction, Success, Accomplishment, Enjoyment, Be trusted, etc.What?
Meaning of Values
There are so many debatable questions and dilemmas about Values in Life.According to me, Values are those inner standards from which you receive the motivation to act as you do and by which you judge behaviour (both yours and others). It may signify what is important and worthwhile according to moral codes and ethical behaviours. Your value might be based on many aspects like, family religion, social background, gender etc. But they do guide individuals, professionals and Institutions.
Now, follow steps written after this Para. Open your Notebook and write down 10-20 names of values you mean e.g. ethics, honesty, family, Veracity etc. and give rank top ten Values according to you. A good way to do this is to look into your past life to identify your good choices of decision. Define those ten Values and write them. Remember, after this task you are going to follow youar values according to the list because after doing this you will try to follow your values and make difference.
Step 1: Look into your past when you were happiest
Find examples from both your career and personal life. This will ensure some balance in your answers.
What were you doing?
Were you with other people? Who?
What other factors contributed to your happiness?
Step 2: Look into your past when you were most proud
Use examples from your career and personal life.
Why were you proud?
Did other people share your pride? Who?
What other factors contributed to your feelings of pride?
Step 3 Look into your past when you were most fulfilled and satisfied
What need or desire was fulfilled?
How and why did the experience give your life meaning?
What other factors contributed to your feelings of fulfilment?
Step 4: Determine your top values, based on your experiences of happiness, pride, and fulfilment
Step 5: Prioritize your top Values
Write down your top values, not in any particular order.
Look at the first two values and ask yourself, "If I could satisfy only one of these, which would I choose?" It might help to visualize a situation in which you would have to make that choice. For example, if you compare the values of service and stability, imagine that you must decide whether to sell your house and move to another country to do valuable foreign aid work, or keep your house and volunteer to do charity work closer to home.
Keep working through the list, by comparing each value with each other value, until your list is in the correct order.
Step 6: Reaffirm your values
Check your top-priority values, and make sure they fit with your life and your vision for yourself.
Do these values make you feel good about yourself?
Are you proud of your top three values?
Would you be comfortable and proud to tell your values to people you respect and admire?
Do these values represent things you would support, even if your choice isn't popular, and it puts you in the minority?
Values are usually fairly stable, yet they don't have strict limits or boundaries. Also, as you move through life, your values may change. For example, when you start your career, success – measured by money and status – might be a top priority. But after you have a family, work-life balance may be what you value more.
As your definition of success changes, so do your personal values. This is why keeping in touch with your values is a lifelong exercise. You should continuously revisit this, especially if you start to feel unbalanced... and you can't quite figure out why.
Identifying and understanding your values is a challenging and important exercise. Your personal values are a central part of who you are – and who you want to be. By becoming more aware of these important factors in your life, you can use them as a guide to make the best choice in any situation.
Some of life's decisions are really about determining what you value most. When many options seem reasonable, it's helpful and comforting to rely on your values – and use them as a strong guiding force to point you in the right direction.
Why we need to have Values in Life?
The answer comes after following your values of life. Values plays vial role to build a character. Sometimes if you desperate of being value follower, be brave, honest and faithful to yourself. Right equations of success always have calculated use of correct values.Shree Sai Baba said, “Man is lost and is wandering in a jungle where real values have no meaning. Real Values can have meaning to man only when he steps on to the spiritual path, a path where negative emotions have no use”. When you value something, it has a positive quality for you.
So, be an anchor of your values that lost at sea.
वनेऽपि सिंहा मॄगमांसभक्षिणो बुभुक्षिता नैव तॄणं चरन्ति |
एवं कुलीना व्यसनाभिभूता न नीचकर्माणि समाचरन्ति ||
Lions in forest, who eat flesh of other animals - will not eat grass even if they are very hungry. Similarly, persons born in good families will not perform any misconduct even in odds. Meaning of respectable family should be taken here as families with values.
