Think about a peak experience in your life. Describe it—either by talking about it with a loved one or jotting it down in detail. Now look for the qualities that stand out, like contribution, relationships, adventure, fairness, security and health.
Whatever those qualities are, they are likely your core values—and a key to living a purposeful life.
“Living with purpose is about being aligned with our core values,” says life coach Lynda Monk. “Core values that are dishonored, either intentionally or through lack of self-awareness, tend to increase stress, anxiety, depression, frustration and feelings of lack of fulfillment. Living in alignment with your core values—whatever they might be—equals living with purpose. This in turn may increase health, happiness and vitality.”
Look within
Monk encourages us to avoid the trap of looking outside ourselves for the key to purposeful living.
“Instead of seeking purpose in a singular dimension, based on ‘one thing’ we must do, we’re better off focusing on purpose as a way of being,” she says. “We need to listen within to understand what purposeful living means to each of us.”
More important than what you do is why you do it. If you feel empty, bored or miserable while volunteering or dutifully showing up at a weekly luncheon, you may not be in alignment with your core values. And if you’re not aligned with your values, you’re not living with purpose.
The core values compass
Also known as your internal navigation system or compass, your core values guide your choices, feelings and responses to the world.
“There are many values,” Monk says. “Values are not morals; there is no right or wrong. Rather, values are about the feelings and activities that resonate with each individual.”
Live your values
Authenticity, independence, creativity, truth, justice, freedom and honesty are examples of core values. If, for example, creativity jumps out at you, then maybe it’s one of your core values. You might live this value by seeking activities that involve self-expression and innovation, such as
- blogging
- painting
- wood working
- taking photographs
Ah, but it’s not all about you! Living a life of purpose isn’t just about <your> feelings and activities. “A purposeful life is often found in how we respond to the struggles and challenges we face,” says Monk. “This is a less sexy way to think of it, but our purpose is often born from our life lessons. Therefore, I believe our life purpose includes teaching what we have learned.”
With this in mind, you might bring your value of creativity to life by volunteering at an art gallery or teaching kids how to yarn bomb.
When we live through the lens of our core values and share the most important things we learn, we live with purpose. Plus, we enjoy happier, and often longer, lives.
