Aligning Our Values with What We Do Every Day

So many folks that I receive email from, or who take a course with me, or are coaching clients teach me two important things:

1. Many cannot say clearly what they value in life, or,
2. When they talk about their values, they don't connect them to daily living and working.

Both of these create a sense of disconnection, anxiety, and even, chaos in our lives and work. I know because I had to wrestle these things down and make them real for me, too.

What is important to you defines who you are. Recently a colleague was feeling anxious about an interview she gave. When I asked why, she said that she feared that she had talked too much about spiritual things while being interviewed about workplace issues. She thought she had maybe ruined her market opportunities by spilling the beans that she values spiritual principles.

My question to her was: "Are you living in alignment with who you truly are when you pretend that spiritual principles are not important to the way you bring value to people at work?"


She told me the usual, that she didn't want to tarnish the possibilities of people wanting to work with her because she needed the money and clients and she could easily keep spiritual words or concepts out of the workplace consulting. So, why would she take the risk? That's why she was feeling upset. She was upset because she felt her authenticity reduced her market appeal.

I understand the issue. She's not alone. I had to work through this one, too, and, believe it, it took some doing.

It is a risk to be who you are! Why? Because the alternative is being who other people want you to be. That's a waste of your unique life.

(If this is an issue for you, we talk about solving it in depth in our book, Soul Solitude: Taking Time for Our Souls to Catch Up. www.SoulSolitude.com )

What are you doing? Living who you are, or, who other people want you to be? That's the biggest question to answer.