Tips for “Renewing Our Values”

We all face challenges and obstacles in our lives, at different times, and to various levels and degrees.  During these times, where do we find the strength to persevere?  How can we improve our self-control and reduce our unhealthy responses to stress as we experience times of emotional and/or physical hardships?

Consider these tips:

Make a list of our top three values.  We can think about traits and characteristics that are meaningful and important to us.  Write them down.  Which strengths or roles do we cherish and admire?  Is it a virtue, such as compassion or honesty? Is it noticing beauty in nature or our traditions?

Each time we need self-affirmation, we can pick one of these values.  Then we can devote five to ten minutes to write about why this value is important to us, and describe an example of how it manifests in our lives.  Perhaps this is a past experience, or maybe it is a value we practice in our daily lives, regardless of challenges.