VALUE

​"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value." --Albert Einstein

One of the things I really value is my car.  It’s a sweet ride, this 2008 Prius! I routinely put over 30,000 miles a year on this car and if I didn’t have it I’d have a hard time getting to where I agreed to be, so I place a high value on this material possession.

Because of this value it informs how I should live my life in certain areas. For example, I shouldn't do anything to risk losing it. It means that I should pay the auto insurance bill on time, which means I should budget my income accordingly. It means that I should drive carefully and responsibly, it means I shouldn’t speed. cut people off, text and drive, nor drink and drive. Because I value this material possession this value alerts me to the fact that doing any of the things just mentioned would exponentially increase my chances of losing this car, which would go against my values.  And this is just one example of how an examination of our values can dictate how we should live your lives.  What if we value a meaningful career:  What if we value a cat?  What if we value a garden?  What if we value honesty?  What if we value family?  What if we value our health? And the list goes on and on and the list of corresponding prescribed actions goes on and on.

The Magic Word Value reminds us to prioritize our lives in such a way that the things that matter most are tended to first, allowing our lives to be uncluttered by things that matter rather little.
 
REFLECTION
What do you value?  How will these values inform the way that you will live? Are you currently living in alignment? Are you willing to do whatever it takes live more authentically?