I treated my daughter to some fabulous shades (it was #NationalSunglassesDay after all!) on a recent shopping trip. After the splurge, we held hands, walked around the shopping area and I talked to her about some of my personal values (areas in parentheses were not verbalized to her). I said matter-of-factly:
- I value the truth (even if the truth isn’t pretty)
- I value communication (clear communication is critical to my work as a marketing agency owner, wife and mom!)
- I value health (healthy eating, exercise, sleep and stress-reduction)
- I value one-on-one time (no phones, computers and unplugging from technology)
- I value nature (being connected to it and protecting the environment)
- I value beauty (order, cleanliness, design, architecture and art)
- I value learning (reading, personal growth and development)
- I value giving back (volunteering, helping others and community work)
- I value fun (laughing, travel, friends, family and enjoying experiences)
and - I value great accessories. Even if you wear cheap clothes, great accessories will always make your outfit look rich. (none of this bullet was in parentheses, she needed to know all of this! Ha!)
She looked at me through her new Ray-Ban shades (I got them for half off, but it was still a splurge!) and simply said “ok.”
While she may not have absorbed the mama lecture in it’s entirety, being clear on a small set of values that are meaningful to you (material things aside!) can help you focus on a richer life.
When you are clear on your values and make them a priority, they become a compass for how you live. As a parent, it also helps instill values that your children can adopt into their lives, even after you are gone.
Take time to think about your values. You may even want to turn them into a personal mantra.
And if you think you need some new shades, there is no better time than now to look at life through a new positive filter (literally and figuratively)!
