“Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.” – Dalai Lama

We live in a fast paced world. What was true yesterday should be questioned today. Either we develop the ability to change and adapt or we fall by the wayside. The age of dogmas is now passé. Everything is open to question and fluidity is the order of the day.

Time was when we could find security in familiar surroundings. That époque is now over. We must learn to surf with the tide of current events and situations. With the explosion of technology, we no longer live in a community but in a global village.

How then can we set our compass straight and keep our bearings in the midst of that turmoil? For that we need to turn to our basic values. Those can be seen as the North Star of the modern day sailors. Just as the North Star guided sea Captains for centuries, our basic values will guide us in the tumultuous and ever changing sea of life.

Our basic values are the fundamental beliefs that create the core of our character. Most of the decisions that we make are directed by those values. These values are incrusted in our self-image and perceived identity. They define who we believe ourselves to be.

Yet, given all their importance, most people have never taken the time to examine those values. No one would set out to sea with a faulty or unchecked GPS (Global Positioning System.) The same attention should be accorded to our values because they are the only one who can truly assist us in charting our way through an ever-changing world.

The first thing that needs to be done is to makeup a list of at least ten of our most important values. That list should be sorted out by order of importance and then evaluated one by one to make sure that those values are empowering and not conflicting with each other.

Your values could look something like this: 1. Health, 2. Personal Growth, 3. Family life, 4. Financial Security, 5. Relationships, 6. Adventure, 7. Contribution, 8. Spirituality, 9. Recognition, 10. Legacy.

Once the values have been sorted out by order of importance, they should be checked to ascertain that they are compatible and not conflicting. Someone who would have “adventure” and “security” as personal values is on a conflicting path. Adventure and security will not make compatible bedfellows. One of the two will have to be changed.

Our personal values are simply beliefs that we have acquired along the way. Our parents, our peers and the society in which we live have passed on most of them to us. Those beliefs are not cast in stone and they are not dogmas. They can be changed and they should be changed if they do not serve us the way that they should.

With our value clearly established, decision-making is no longer an issue. We know exactly where we intend to go; we know what’s important for us and what should be avoided at all cost. Our compass is set and even in turbulent times it’s easy to keep the cap in the intended direction.

We are the Captains of our ship and so long as we are guided by our fundamental values, the ship will stay safely on course. That is, so long as those values are dictated with quality and integrity in mind.

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Tags: action, brainstorm, contribution, empowering, imagination, Personal Development, satisfaction, significance