Are Your Values Really Your Values?

I’m one chapter into Jay Shetty’s, Think Like a Monk, and already I’ve discovered something really interesting; some of the values are not really my own values.

It’s pretty mind-blowing really. Because I’ve looked at my values, time and time again, but I guess I’ve never questioned where they came from… which is exactly what Jay has you do. When I really sat down and thought about it, the only things that felt true to me on an internal level were creativity and freedom, underpinned by spirituality and resilience.

I’d always thought that courage was one of my values, but it really isn’t – it’s something that I had to develop because I needed some courage to enjoy the creativity and freedom I desired. It’s also a value that I soaked up from my parents and from watching people act courageously in TV and movies.

Confidence, too, is something that I’ve learned through media. And recognition.

It’s pretty incredible to know this. And I see now that many of the poor decisions that I made in the past, came because I was seeking recognition or trying to feel/seem confident and courageous.

I feel a tremendous sense of relief now, in looking at my goals and knowing that I really don’t need to have a book published (one of my long term goals). So long as I’m enjoying freedom and creativity, nothing else matters. If a book gets written along the way, great. But I don’t need it or the recognition that may or may not come with it.

Are you values really yours? I highly recommend finding out, as I do reading Jay Shetty’s, Think Like a Monk!