Day 5 Living My Values? Part I

Part 1: Am I Currently Living Out My Values?
Now that you’re clear on what you really care about, you want to compare your values to how you’re currently living your life. For each value that you identified in your “Reset 10″, rate yourself from 1-10 on how you feel you’re acting out that particular value in your life. Be honest with yourself – it’s the only way to be able to improve upon the life you’re living now to the life you want to be living in the future!

Part 2: What Do My Values Look Like in Action?
For each value that you identified in your “Reset 10,″ list out at least three actions that you currently take or that you should be taking in order to honor and fulfill that value in your life. What kinds of things would you be doing if you were living in full accordance with your values? What would it really look like for you to be able to rate yourself as a “10″ on how you live out all your values?

Only on Day 5 and I'm feeling pretty naked. I'm honestly happy now that this blog is new and drawing so little traffic. By the time anyone bothers to read this series, I hope I'll be much further along my path where I want to be.  I'm long-winded and no matter how I try to keep this concise, I simply have plenty to say. Writing is therapuetic for me, and doing these exercises is making it glaringly clear that I have a lot to work through.  No offense taken if you don't wade through all my babble. Anyhoo, I'm posting Day 5 in two parts because I wouldn't read an entire assignment in one sitting and writing it in one sitting is just plain uncomfortable.


(5) relationships

To date this is the most painful exercise. I thought I was simply busy and distracted, but now that I'm completing this exercise, I think unconsciously I didn't want to deal. My relationships matter, yet I hate confrontation and fear rejection so I don't fully engage especially the more I care about someone. It sucks writing this but while I love my DH and family and friends, I'm not giving what I should. Three things I'm committing to:

1) Calling folks regularly. I hate calling so this is a real challenge. I'm actually going to schedule calls on paper because I need to see it to do it.
2) Schedule time to see my parents; doing something once a month just one on one with each of them.
3) Listen more and comment less to my girls. They want more of my attention and support and not my advise.

(5) connection

Related to my first but here it's about reconnecting with other family members and friends. There are professional and peer relationships I want to improve and I'm doing very little to create the circles I want. Action plan:

1) Plan dates with friends.
2) Call. I need to write these, too.
3) Plan at least one trip to see a family member and a friend I haven't seen in a long time.

(4) art

I love beautiful things and expressions of beauty so why haven't I attended a concert, reading or exhibit in forever? Why is it so hard for me to resume my love of reading? Action plan:

1)Visit the library this weekend.
2) Ask my friends or my parents to attend a show/exhibit with me.
3) Spend some real time creating a new playlist.

(4) faith

When my car gave up the ghost a couple of years ago, I stopped attending Quaker Meetings. For a while, I'd rent a car and then I stopped doing that. Going within on a regular basis helped me at the lowest point in my life and afterwards my spiritual life gave me hope and purpose. Running theme here is why am I failing to do the things I love? Action plan:

1) Resume meditation practice.
2) Daily read something to feed my soul.
3) Set a date and invite a friend to Meeting.

(6) health

In 2010, I took off some ugly weight and maintained until this past Christmas. I'm not exercising as much now. It seems harder to get my groove back. I know it's possible but I continue to stall out. Action plan:

1)Keep it simple. Start with each day. Commit to moving at least 30 minutes a day.
2) Remember and do pack my food. I eat what I see. If I pack my food, I'm in control.
3) Buy another pedometer. That constant tracker helped me to stay focus.