Tune in & Tune Up Your Inner Compass
"The good life is using your strengths every day to produce authentic happiness
and abundant gratification."
Martin Seligman
Your values are the internal motivators that guide your thoughts, words and actions. Like priorities often our stated values and actual values don’t align. You might claim to value patience, but loose it when things don’t go your way, you might claim to value tolerance until someone acts in a way that upsets you, you might claim to disciplined and succumb to excuses. In a world swamped with advertising and social media, vices like greed, gluttony, laziness and wrath get much more exposure than virtuous values like love, kindness, self discipline and patience. This can make it easy to lower your standards or loose your sense of what is right, acting talking and thinking in ways that don’t really align with who it is you want to be. Though we can rationalise this way of being most of us have sense there’s something wrong when we disrespect our values.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Strengths can be thought of as values in action. If you value compassion you might practice the strength of listening, if you value authenticity you might cultivate the strength of introspection, if you value courage you might practice acting from your heart over your head. Buy taking the time to get to know the values that are meaningful to you and considering how you can bring them into your day to day you prime yourself to be able to respond to the world from a place of strength in way that is unique to you. If you can match this with a willingness to learn and grow then you are on the path to personal mastery and fulfilling life.
The following list of values/virtues/strengths might help you get a sense of what’s available to you.
Some of these you might recognise in yourself as quite natural and others you might aspire too but know they need some work
Choose 2 - 6 of these that resonate and consider how you can bring them into you day to day in a way that’s meaningful.
Adaptability — You adjust well to changing conditions and circumstances.
Adventurous Spirit — You seek exciting challenges and opportunities for exploration and growth.
Affection — You openly express warmth, caring and fondness toward others.
Ambition — You are goal-oriented and motivated to achieve meaningful outcomes.
Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence — You notice, value and are inspired by beauty, skill and excellence in the world around you.
Authenticity — Your public and private selves are aligned; you are genuine and true to yourself.
Bravery / Courage — You act despite fear, uncertainty or difficulty when something matters to you.
Compassion — You feel a deep concern for the suffering of others, combined with a desire to help relieve it.
Competitiveness — You enjoy testing your skills and abilities against others and striving to perform at your best.
Confidence — You believe in your abilities and trust yourself to meet challenges.
Creativity — You generate original ideas, perspectives and solutions.
Critical Thinking / Judgment — You think realistically, evaluate information carefully and make sound judgments.
Curiosity — You are inquisitive and have a genuine desire to understand how things work.
Decisiveness — You are able to make clear and definitive choices rather than remaining stuck in indecision.
Dependability — You can be counted on to follow through and meet your commitments.
Determination / Persistence / Perseverance / Grit — You draw on your strength of will to overcome obstacles and continue despite difficulty or setbacks.
Discernment — You look beneath the surface and seek to understand the deeper causes, meanings and implications of things.
Empathy — You are able to understand and experience something of what others are thinking and feeling.
Engagement with Others — You bring your full attention, energy and presence to your interactions with other people.
Fairness / Justice — You seek to treat people fairly and believe that people should be treated with dignity and equity.
Focus — You are able to direct and sustain your attention on what matters.
Forgiveness — You are able to release resentment and clear the record when you have been harmed.
Fortitude — You possess the strength and resolve to stand firm and fight for what you believe is right.
Generosity — You willingly share your time, energy, knowledge, resources or attention with others.
Gratitude — You feel and express sincere appreciation for what you have and for the people and experiences that enrich your life.
Honesty / Truthfulness — You communicate and act truthfully, accurately representing events, facts and your experience as you know them.
Honor / Integrity — Your actions and decisions are consistent with your deepest ethical standards and what you judge to be right.
Hope / Optimism — You maintain a belief that the future can be positive and that your actions can contribute to creating it.
Humility — You are modest, recognise your limitations and remain open to learning from others.
Humor — You are able to see and appreciate the lighter side of life, including the ability to laugh at yourself and life's ironies.
Kindness / Love / Care — You have a deep regard and affection for others and seek to contribute to their wellbeing.
Leadership — You inspire, guide and influence others toward a shared purpose or meaningful outcome.
Loyalty — You are faithful, committed and supportive toward the people, relationships and communities that matter to you.
Love of Learning — You find joy in discovering, understanding and developing new knowledge and skills.
Moral Courage — You act in accordance with what you believe is right despite risk, opposition or potentially negative consequences.
Motivation — You are able to generate the energy, desire and drive necessary to take action.
Open-Mindedness — You are receptive to new ideas, perspectives and ways of thinking, even when they challenge your existing beliefs.
Organization — You create order and structure and are able to manage tasks, information and responsibilities effectively.
Patience — You are able to accept imperfections, delays and difficulties without becoming unnecessarily frustrated or reactive.
Perspective — You are able to step back from the immediate situation and see the bigger picture, recognising different viewpoints and what matters most.
Positivity — You tend to approach life through the lens of opportunity, possibility and growth rather than primarily through threat or limitation.
Prudence — You exercise good judgment and consider the likely consequences of your actions before acting.
Punctuality — You respect time and honour your commitments to others.
Resilience — You are able to recover, adapt and grow following disappointment, adversity, failure or loss.
Respect — You treat yourself and others with dignity, consideration and regard.
Seeking Challenges — You actively look for opportunities to expand your capabilities and step beyond your current comfort zone.
Self-Awareness — You have a realistic understanding of yourself, including your thoughts, emotions, motivations, patterns, strengths and limitations.
Self-Control / Willpower / Self-Regulation — You are able to manage impulses, desires, thoughts and emotions so that your behaviour remains aligned with your intentions and values.
Social Intelligence — You understand social situations and relationships and are able to respond effectively and sensitively to other people.
Spirituality — You seek connection with something larger or deeper than yourself and explore questions of meaning, purpose and existence.
Teamwork — You work cooperatively with others, contributing to shared goals while valuing different perspectives and abilities.
Temperance — You practise moderation and balance, avoiding excess and exercising appropriate restraint.
Tough-Mindedness / Mental Toughness — You are able to remain mentally strong, focused and purposeful when faced with pressure, discomfort or adversity.
Trust — You are willing to believe in the basic goodness, intentions and capabilities of others.
Vitality / Vigor / Zest — You approach life with energy, enthusiasm and a sense of aliveness.
Wisdom — You develop and apply insight into the deeper meaning of life and use that understanding to make sound choices.