Hey there.
Let's inhale.
Exhale.
Welcome to a hit of hope.
And this one is salty.
Values are deep,
Foundational drives that we live out every day,
Whether we know it or not.
Sometimes we are aware of our values,
Those things that shape our decisions and behaviors.
We might value money or kindness,
Creativity or travel,
Education or freedom,
And our life choices and actions reflect those values.
Inhale.
Exhale.
At the same time,
We might be living out values that we're not aware of.
For instance,
I've only recently come to realize that efficiency is one of my prime values right now.
On the surface,
This seems like a great value.
It's related to creation,
Productivity,
Accomplishing your purpose in the most timeliest of manners.
Simply put,
Efficiency helps us get shit done.
Inhale.
Exhale.
All values,
Though,
Can carry a dark side.
Money as a value can drive us to always do more.
It can create in us a scarcity mindset rather than allow us to trust in abundance.
Even kindness has a dark side.
Sometimes there are hard conversations that need to be had.
If we believe we always have to be kind,
That can mean we are forced to hide our honest frustrations and frictions.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The dark side to efficiency is that it leads me to overschedule myself,
To prioritize getting things done rather than enjoying the process,
Rather than enjoying the people around me.
Our world values efficiency.
Our world values busyness and more.
That's why so many of us are so damned,
Exhausted.
Inhale.
Exhale.
If you are feeling overwhelmed,
Take a moment.
Consider what are your values,
Your actual values that you're living right now.
Is it saying yes to everything?
Is it busyness?
Is it control,
Often of what cannot be controlled?
Because.
Consider.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The world wants you to rush.
It wants you to be so whipped up that you don't have time to think,
Time to center,
Time to go in and sit with what really matters.
The world wants to shape your values stealthily so that you don't even notice what's going on.
Inhale.
Exhale.
To help your sanity,
What if you slow everything down?
Slow your thoughts.
Slow your interactions.
That will give you the time to pause and choose.
Choose to become aware of the values you are living.
Choose what values you want to be living.
Inhale.
Exhale.
This work will take time.
It will take practice and intention.
But if you can focus on what has real value,
Those desirable qualities you want to embody so that they inform your daily life and actions,
Then you can transform your life from the inside out.
You can live into abundance.
You can live authentically.
You can live light and shine.
