World Values Day – 21st October 2021
World Values Day – 21st October 2021
For World Values Day, our Happiness Ambassador Amy shares a time when exploring her core values led to a life-changing moment of realisation.
21st October is World Values Day. A few years ago, that would have meant very little to me. Truthfully, I didn’t understand what ‘values’ meant, other than in a monetary sense. Although, if we replace ‘money’ with ‘treasure’ and then think beyond a dragon’s sparkling hoard and more towards the things, experiences and even concepts we treasure, that brings us closer to the mark.
I was having a rough time. Karen Smith, Director of Turn up the Value, was then working for Boo and she offered me a one-to-one values session. I didn’t really have a concept of what that might entail, but it didn’t sound painful and I was willing to try anything. It was life changing.
A year earlier, I’d been promoted into a job that was wildly different from that which I had applied for, or ever considered applying for. Suddenly thrust into leadership, I had responsibility, power and MONEY. These are the things that I thought defined success in one’s career. This is what I assumed we all aspire to. In my small organisation, I was at the top. So, why wasn’t I happy at work? Why did my previously satisfying employment feel joyless and at times, utterly unappealing?
Along came Karen and her values cards. She introduced me to a simple, magical exercise involving finding one’s core values. Presented with around 100 cards, each with a single word on them, I began the task of sorting them into three piles.
YES, NO, MAYBE.
There were loads in my ‘yes’ piles. Almost as many in my maybe pile. Who doesn’t want happiness, love, belonging, fun, joy?
I’ll tell you three things that were in my ‘No’ pile. Responsibility, power, money. This was a major lightbulb moment. The three main positive things that my promotion had brought me were actually of little relative importance to me. Even the money – more than I had ever been paid before – was not of value in itself, only the things it could afford me – more adventure, more fun, more security.
Suddenly it was distinctly obvious why this job, seemingly so perfect, felt like the wrong fit. Not only were its advantages of low value to me, but it took away from the things that I eventually decided were my top five ‘core values’, the things that life felt empty and meaningless without, the things that when something inhibited them I felt a deep sense of wrongness. Things…values.. such as fairness, adventure, health and contentment.
The great news is that it’s really simple to go through this enlightenment process yourself, or guide other through it, using our own brand of very attractive values cards. (Shop here). Each pack includes a separate card to list your own core values, and an ikigai venn diagram which demonstrates what else we need to get from our meaningful employment – other than money – to feel satisfied at work. You can read more on ikigai here.
