Mindfully Moving into Summer: Embracing Values as a Guide

-by Rivian Lewin, PhD

Life is a maze of situations, people, opportunities, places, losses and more. As we enter a new season of the year, it’s helpful to reflect on all these rich elements of life and to use our values as a guide pointing us toward where we hope to go.

Here’s a concise roadmap for leveraging your values to make informed choices:

1. Clarify Core Values:

   Reflect on who you want to be,

   the way you’d hope others

   would describe you, and what

   truly matters to you.

2. Prioritize Alignment:

   When making decisions, consider how various options align with

   your values. Aligning our actions with our values creates a sense of

   purpose and satisfaction in who we are and what we do.

3. Evaluate Outcomes:

   Evaluate how each decision turns out…What are the short- and

   long-term consequences of the choice I made? How does a choice like

   this fit with what I want for myself?

4. Live with Intention:

   Seek alignment between your values and actions, whether in major

   life decisions or daily choices. Notice moments when your actions don’t

   feel in the service of your values and allow your evolving values to guide

   you with openness and adaptability.

By embracing values as a compass, we find ourselves moving along a path of meaning and curating a life that represents who we truly wish to be.