The No. 1 value that can change your life…

Hi EveryOne, happy July,

Where are our values today? Are we clear on what our values are and where we stand on them? Do we know when to apply them? Or are we driven by compulsion, justifying our actions, because of them?

You know, I don’t think of myself as a conformist, yet looking back in my life, that’s exactly what I was! Even though I was regularly seen as a ‘trouble maker’ asking ‘inappropriate’ questions that those in authority were unable to answer. Yet I conformed in that I compulsively tried to be a ‘good girl’, I tried to be what others thought I should be – sound familiar? But the more spiritually I live my life today the more I realise that everything has a place, I just need to be clear on what and where they each belong. And this has nothing to do with conforming (or controlling) but to do with understanding value and self worth 🙂

In a world where values are commonly lost, forgotten or misplaced, sometimes it’s hard to know what the ‘right’ thing to do really is. Sadly current values have little value – what’s important to one may seem absolutely nothing, even crazy, to another. Material values, ethical values and moral values differ from person to person, from culture to culture. So we fight for ‘justice’ and ‘freedom’ in the name of our values, only to impose our own ‘better’ rules and conditions. Convinced and driven by a belief that we are doing the ‘right thing’ we force our own set of values and beliefs on others – in the name of peace, in the name of sisterhood or brotherhood, in the name of progress, in the name of God! Contradicting the very nature of what value means.

Values are important, in fact, they are our signposts in life, our handrails that keep us steady and confident as we walk through a life that can be disappointing, fearful and very confusing. They can support us and hold us up when we begin to shake with uncertainty. The problem with conventional values is that they are traditionally subjective, exclusive and limiting. They do the complete opposite of what they are supposed to do. Rather than liberate, they box us in and hold us down, oppressed and blinded by our own ‘passion’ for change. But if we learn to use our most forgotten, least used value, as the foundation for all other values then we start making real progress, real change that’s so desperately needed in our narcissistically violent world. So what is the No. 1 value that will change your life and the lives of those around you? … Spiritual Value!

There’s nothing wrong with valuing material belongings, or valuing positions we hold in life, or valuing marriage or whatever it may be. Providing we don’t impose our values on others, let them rule us or the lives of those around us, in a negative way. We all have a right to be happy but when we impose our values on others or only pay attention to our material values for example, life will be one of constant fear and anger and those close to us often bear the brunt of that. Even ethical values and moral values are subject to change, because they still fluctuate, dependent on which organisation we work for or which family or country we belong to.

Spiritual values are imageless. Based on eternal truth, they stem from deep within, from an innate place of knowing, an innate place of unconditional love for all living beings. Coming from this platform, helps us keep all other values in check. Living in accordance with returning to our essence of love and compassion (for the self and others) allows traditional values to have their rightful place without becoming dogmatic, because spiritual values will underpin all other values. Imbibing spiritual values into our life is the very best thing we can do for everyone. Spiritual values, when practiced, will uplift and embrace all cultures and indeed, all other values, accurately and everyone wins 🙂

Question: What do I value and where do I stand on things that are important to me?

Consideration: Do I compromise these values or do I remain firm, unconditionally loving and compassionate?

Activity:  Write down a list of things that are important to you, then looking at the different values (material, ethical, moral, spiritual) see where they belong. Do this with everything that’s important in your life, it helps you detach in a loving way – it will give you a very clear picture of your life as it stands today and where some changes may need to be made. But remember to be gentle 🙂

Love Annemarie