Self-Care: V is for…

is for values

I absolutely love this quote by Mary Oliver:

“The stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds, and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own.”

 

I think we grow into the awareness of ourselves.  For many of us we’ve worked diligently at it over the course of our lifetime.  Always looking to refine – to cast off the not-me so the true-me is able to shine purely.   I believe this is ongoing work – to express ourselves ever more in alignment with our divine soul blueprint.

One of the ways we define ourselves, the guiding principles that urge our behavior and impel our actions is through what we call our core values.  What’s important to us?  How do we want to show up in the world?  What energetic address do we wish to live at? 

It can be really helpful to actually be able to name the handful of principles you hold as guiding stars.  It certainly makes working with them consciously a whole lot easier.

And being aware of them intimately, being able to recognize their energetic resonance can make them such a gift for self-care as well.   In any situation that doesn’t feel wonderful, that feels hard, that feels confusing, that makes me feel like I’m showing up in a way that really isn’t authentic or in integrity with who I am, one of the easiest ways to evaluate the situation is through the lens of your core values.  

I believe in energetic resonance.   If you want more joy in your life then you have to find things that give you joy and keep standing in that energy stream.  If you want more peace, find ways to be more peaceful. 

What’s out of alignment?  There’s no need, or even room for judgment. It’s about how do I bring more of what I value into the situation, into the clear expression of who I am in this situation; or how do I move away from it.  Paying attention to your core values as a self-care practice can be like shining a light in the darkness in which you find yourself so you can turn and find your way.

It’s back to that beautiful quote from Mary Oliver- about recognizing your own voice.   Self-care to me is all about making sure there’s nothing in the way of that.

If you’ve never identified your core values you might want to head over to here – this is a very extensive list of values.  

I’d love to hear what one or two of your values are.   Are you honoring those values?  Or are there places you might want to be a bit more conscious?  Do tell – you know I love to hear.