What Do You Truly Value Most? - Article from ValuePrep

What Do You Truly Value Most?

By Brian Maloney

Believe it or not, values are in the core of all of us. These
underrated rankings tell more about us than we could ever
imagine. Yet, many of us overlook this extremely
important portion of our lives.

Why do we?

Because so many of us get caught up in the race of life and
flying ahead of others becomes more important. If
becoming a better person everyday is important to you,
(and it should be) you need to make this crucial evaluation
before ever progressing forward.

Lets say hypothetically you have a lot of personal issues
unresolved, for whatever reason. In addition, you realized
that due to your being so self absorbed, you are the highest
value in your respective life and always have been.

Whew! A lot to have realized.

Your partner, child, job, friends, religion, car and pets are
all inferior to your number one position. This has a lot to
do with your feeling a lack of personal security that can be
made to feel secure by centering yourself in the spotlight at
all times.

The world owes you the favors!

This mindset is ultimately destructive and counter-
productive at best. Although, you do as much as needed to
hide this characteristic of your personality, your thickened
veneer will grow more transparent as the days go on. The
people you hold most dear will eventually see right through
it.

By not holding your partner and children in the number one
position, you are not only taking their love for granted, but
in time setting yourself up to losing them, or at best, they
will grow to resent your obvious narcissism.

The fact is that everyone in the world has naturally selfish
tendencies. How would we anticipate a reward for a job
well done without thinking of ourselves?

To what degree do we keep this selfish viewpoint close to
the chest? That is a very important question to always ask
yourself.

Balancing this aspect of your heart and your intentions with
this question could certainly be the single most important
question you ask yourself throughout the course of your
life.

If ranked properly, your values can dictate your future by
holding yourself below rather than at the top. Your
interpersonal relationships will be guided by this ranking.

However, this is not something you can fake!

This point cannot be said more emphatically.
Introspectively gaze into your heart and truly ask yourself
this poignant question.

If you still come out of that experience with yourself as the
most important, than your living too selfishly. Additional
introspection would definitely be indicated at that point to
gauge what is most important.

To further illustrate, here is a simple example: Your young
daughter is in the second grade and tonight she has her first
play opening. She is the innocent bunny, but your Friday
nights have historically been designated for haning out and
drinking with the guys.

Quite a dilemma, huh?

Should I see my daughter’s first play performance or
should I let my super important friends down because if I
do, I might lose one or two of them since I’m not a
‘gamer’. You think this will inevitaly ruin or dent up my
social life.

Hmmmm...

Well if the answer is to go to the bar with your friends, you
are slowly or quickly ruining what should be the most
precious relationships to you. Your daughter and partner.
If it was not even a question and you wouldn’t have missed
her play for the world, then you’d be surprised how many
selfish people would have picked the social situation.

This example is one of a million I could have come up with
that determines your higher and lower values in life.
Deciding what's more important to you and committing
yourself consistently to this mindset.

It is not as important the farther you go down the list of
high values, but your number one and two are of the utmost
importance.

Try to make certain it’s not you at numero uno!

Being selfless is a mindset, especially towards your family
and living life with an empathetic attitude toward the rest
of the world, creating a more harmonious existence.
Moreover, this will eventually speak volumes about your
character and lessen the burden of guilt that can eat away at
your very core.

If you strive to live cleaner, not a necessarily more boring
existance, you’ll want to examine your highest and lowest
values in your life everyday and vow to maintain their
order. They will keep you mentally healthy and always
progressing.

--by Brian Maloney-ValuePrep.com
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