Chop us in half like a stick of Brighton rock and our values are the things that run through the middle.

In a very real way, we are our values. Our values are the often-unconscious drivers which underpin all our responses, actions and decisions. Values are perhaps the most vital part of the jigsaw of our life in terms of understanding what motivates and fulfils us.

Values are essentially subjective and very personal; they are core to who we are – chop us in half like a stick of Brighton rock and they are the things that run through the middle. Of course there might be some societal or faith based values that are important to us – honesty, for example - but as we dig into our own personal value system it’s important to notice when we are responding to the values of others or of society at large and when we are connecting with what is true for ourselves.

Because our values are about what really matters to us and drives us they are an inner compass that help us navigate life, guiding our choices and actions. The extent we live in accordance with our values also has a big impact on our overall sense of happiness and satisfaction with our life.

Research by Jacqueline Le Fevre at the University of Hertfordshire has shown the positive impact of having a clear understanding of our personal values; her research points to higher levels of self-assurance, life satisfaction and wellbeing as a result of conscious connection to our values. Simply put, if there is some level of unhappiness or dissatisfaction in your life the chances are that some of your core values may be being compromised or overlooked.

Many people who come to coaching with Boldly-Go are intrigued by what emerges when they spend some time pondering on what their values are – especially when they move beyond the society “shoulds” and connect with what is true for them.

Recently I’ve spent some time reconnecting with my own values (open heartedness, growth, open mindedness and possibility in case you are interested…) and I really notice how energised I am when they are fully expressed in my life and work.

One thing that has supercharged my connection with my values are some embodied practices drawn from a methodology called Sophrology. It was World Values day in October and the Sophrology Academy (who I trained with) ran a free guided session designed to provide an experience of consciously embodying a value. If you are curious about how it might feel why not give it a go here?

#values #leadership #leadershipcoaching #sophrology