Dr Laura Lowery's Blog

I was watching a show recently about living your life as your best self, and the narrator recommended to reflect upon and write down your values. I’m obviously big into writing – in addition to this blog, I journal every day, and I also am working on a few books. And so I thought it would be useful to take the advice and write down my current values, and especially noticing how they have changed from what I previously believed just several years ago.

Here is the list that I came up with of my current values – 

Being authentically me, embracing both the light and the dark parts of me.

Taking care of myself. Engaging in radical daily self-care.

Cultivating my own power and creativity and love, from inside myself.

Slowing down and being still.

Sharing my truth with those who want to listen.

Connecting with others.

Seeing and hearing others.

Supporting others on their own journeys.

As I wrote those down, I also reflected on how my values have changed, what values that were important to me even just a few years ago, but those that I no longer seek for myself –  

Seeking out external validation.

“Doing” as much as I can every day.

Taking care of others at my own expense.

Making/saving as much money as possible.

Doing what I am supposed to do for my career success/prestige/promotion, if it’s not something that fills my heart with meaning and joy.

Trying to be perfect.

When I look back at those values in the second list, those truly used to be what ruled my world. It’s striking to me how much of a transformation that I have gone through these last few years. It’s been a very painful process at times, but I definitely feel so much more grounded, centered, and at peace now. It’s still a process, of course. I mean, these new values are very green still. But I’m getting there…one slow day at a time.