Eight Values That Define Our Lives

Who are you? What defines you? What are those ideals or values most important in your life? Are they things such as honesty, loyalty and/or respect for others? We know not to lie, steal or cheat, but what other values do we honor?

Eight concepts define our ethical beliefs:

Compassion – caring about ourselves and others
Unity - feeling connected to others
Truthfulness – being honest with ourselves and others
Fairness - treating ourselves and others fairly
Tolerance – allowing diversity in ideas and beliefs
Responsibility – assuming the consequences of our actions
Respect – accepting our own and others’ opinions
Service – helping ourselves and others

Which ones make you who you are? Then think about which ones you honor in others, but fail to allow for yourself:

Do you treat others fairly, but not yourself?
Do you respect others’ opinions, but not your own?
Do you help others and volunteer for many charities, but fail to take time for your own chores?
Do you show compassion to others, but neglect your own needs?
Know your beliefs, acknowledge them, and honor them for yourself, not just for others.

In situations of conflict, we know the right thing to do. We tap our inner wisdom to see how any potential decision feels. Trust that. Honor what is right. Act on your beliefs.

What beliefs reflect your parent within, the nagging voice that warns you when you are doing something wrong, even when you try to quiet and ignore it? What are the beliefs that, when ignored, wake you up at night and disturb your sleep?

Think of a dilemma in which you debated what to do. What helped you make that final decision? Were you at peace with it? Remember those values that allow you to believe in your decisions, and trust yourself.

Spirituality is the larger part of the ethical issue. 95% of us believe in God or something greater than ourselves. Despite differences, most religions and spiritual paths teach the same eight principles as mentioned above: Compassion, Unity, Truthfulness, Fairness, Tolerance, Responsibility, Respect, and Service. We live spiritually by honoring these values and focusing on the ones most important to us. Trust who you are and what you do by respecting your beliefs.