Misery is not one of my values
We can hold very abstract values integrity, honesty, or service to others but we can also have values that guide how we live our lives for our own well-being.
About a month ago I found myself in a state of near-constant anxiety and fear. My business of seventeen years needed to be shut down and my building leased and it felt like there were a million things I had to do. The outcome of certain aspects of the shutdown would affect my life for years to come. Everything felt high stakes and it all had to go well or I might be in serious trouble. The fear and overwhelm were starting to impact my health.
That's when I had an epiphany. I remembered that misery is not one of my values.
While I had some influence over how things turned out, I knew I was not ultimately in charge of the outcome. Worry only made me less effective and disconnected me from myself and my values. I was caught in the hell of trying to control the uncontrollable.
Then I remembered what I was in charge of. I could turn it over to be resolved for the greatest good trusting that if I reconnected to my joy, happiness, and well-being, things would go better than I could imagine. When we let go of trying to control things it leaves space for the Universe (think of this as the god or spiritual construct of your understanding) to pick up the reins.
In that moment all the worry fell away and I felt happy and at ease. I practically skipped into work that morning. I'll share the results with you in another post but suffice it to say the outcome was unexpected and better than I could have ever dreamt of.
By remembering and orienting toward my values, I transformed a highly stressful situation into a joyful exercise and watched the blessings flow in.
In Practice
Get out your journal and start with these prompts to discover and realign with your values:
What values do you hold that support your well-being?
How do you know when you are violating your own values?
What can you do to honor and affirm your values?
Love,
Darcy