A Value-Driven Model Towards Health and Wholeness
I intentionally held off on writing a “New Year’s Blog Post” this year. I think everyone gets inundated with them and I wasn’t so sure that I had anything that I really wanted to contribute. But now that it’s the end of the month I feel like it’s an opportunity for a little quiet reflection.
I believe in living a life based on specific values that are important to me. In fact, there is a “newish” type of therapy called “ACT” which stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. “ACT aims to help the individual clarify their personal values and to take action on them, bringing more vitality and meaning to their life in the process, increasing their psychological flexibility.”
This speaks to the work I try so hard to do with my clients. In fact ACT nicely parallels the messaging of intuitive eating. I believe that when we listen and make changes based on our own internal compass (which takes a lot of honest listening!) we are much happier and the changes we make are more sustainable. When our actions align with our belief system (rather than someone else’s) this decreases stress and actually becomes empowering.
So I would like to challenge each of you to take this opportunity to learn something about yourself. It will only take a few minutes.
1. Take out a scratch sheet of paper.
2. Make a list of 10 things you value. If you need some inspiration, there is a list of over 400 values listed here.
3. If you made specific goals this year, compare those goals to your values. Do they align?
4. Compare your daily actions with your values. Do they align?
Sometimes we have to make dramatic changes in our lives when we become more clear about our values. But if I could give each of you a gift, it would be the gift of living in alignment with your core values. Just as the definition of ACT states, it brings more vitality and meaning to our lives. And when it comes to health, isn’t that what we’re all after?
I’d love to hear about your core values and what you are doing to better align your life with those values. Anyone brave enough to share? It is anonymous! 🙂