With hundreds of coaching hours under my belt it seems that the most important question has become what do you want? If the answer is I dont know, just not this, then values have a part to play in the process. The importance of understanding and being able to define what we care deeply about, what is not negotiable, has benefits for others too. When we understand how values work and contribute to our responses and reactions we also then understand how they contribute to others thinking and behaviour. We learn to better accept others views, depersonalise conflict and avoid the distraction of worry about what others think.
Once we determine our values the next challenge may be to actually accept them. Once we start to unravel what it is we do really want in our working and persoanl lives our minds can race ahead and the reality that change is imminent can derail us. This is where we might consider snuggling up to, and embracing, trust and shaking hands firmly with courage to keep us on track. Trust that in knowing our values life becomes a lot simpler. Courage to persevere and to accept that whatever we find it is nothing more than just the truth. At the heart of who we are is our personal truth and if we are brave enough to uncover, and then accept it, what we need to do next becomes very clear. Clear because not only do we know what to do we know why.
