Values in action

If you take some time to examine your days, to see where you focus your time and attention, you'll pretty quickly be able to see what you value.

For example, I spend a lot of time in my veggie garden, it's my happy place. You'll find me out there with a cup of tea after I meditate and before I practice yoga most mornings checking for changes, observing, harvesting, pulling a weed or two. Honouring the cycles of the seasons. The harvest is usually turned into something simple and delicious in the kitchen. The excess is given away. Or made into some sort of preserve. Or it goes into the compost. And this pattern is repeated over and over.

From an outsiders perspective I would say that the values this represents are time in and connection to nature, eating well and caring for personal health, sharing and being economical.

At the other end of the day, you'll often find me on the couch watching tv and getting sucked into another series, preferably fantasy but any good story line will work.  In my head I would like to say that I value reading and making things but instead of going to bed while I can still keep my eyes open, or reading on the couch, or doing something crafty, I turn on the tv. When I do go to bed, I've got about 10 minutes before my eyes are too heavy to read anymore.

So if I were really honest with myself, my actions aren't reflecting my values. It's not a big deal.  Actually, some of these series are incredible and insightful and inspiring. But maybe it's something to question when it's become a habit, when the joy is lost and when I decide want to become something different.

If you've got that feeling where you're stuck or like there's something missing, maybe it's time to take an honest look at what your actions are saying about your values.