Welcome to day two of living a purposeful life,
A challenge here at Insight Timer intended to help you live a life that is in alignment with your values,
Your goals,
And your priorities.
Let's jump in to today's session.
Hello and welcome to living a purposeful life,
A challenge here on Insight Timer crafted to help you create a life that's aligned with your values,
Goals,
And priorities.
A life that reflects and honors who you truly are.
My name is Jamila and in today's session we're going to be focusing on how to get clarity on your values and how doing so helps us to live intentionally and to create lives we love.
But before we begin today's practice I want to share a personal story.
For years I felt like my life didn't fit me.
There were parts of it that felt good but deep down I had this nagging feeling like I was playing a role in somebody else's script.
I knew I wanted more out of life but I didn't know how to get it.
When I met people who seemed joyful,
Content,
And at peace I wondered how they did it.
I studied their lives and compared them to my own and the difference between us was clear.
They were living lives that reflected their values and I was not.
Values are the qualities that make our lives meaningful.
They're the things we believe are the most important aspects of how we live.
When I reflected on my life back then I realized that I wasn't living in alignment with my values.
Meaning the things I cared most about weren't embedded into my day-to-day life.
Some of my core values are peace and harmony,
Freedom,
Joy,
Wisdom,
And learning,
Creativity,
Adventure,
Beauty,
Pleasure,
Playfulness,
And holistic well-being.
These are the values I must honor or a part of me withers.
So I decided to start shifting my life to be a reflection of my values.
I let my values determine my priorities.
My values inform how I invest my energy,
My time,
My money.
My values are evident in my home,
My relationships,
My work,
And my day-to-day experience.
Today's practice is an opportunity for you to get clear on some of your core values so you can move forward with those values embedded into everything you do.
Getting clarity on our values is essential for living a purposeful life because our values are the compass that point us in the direction of our unique path.
Clarity on our values allows us to make decisions that are in harmony with our authentic selves and align our priorities with what we care most about.
And when we intentionally center what truly matters to us,
We create a life that is meaningful,
Enjoyable,
And in line with our true selves.
Let's get into the practice.
Find a posture that feels comfortable yet alert.
Check in with your spine and see if you can stack each vertebrae one on top of the other like a tower.
Feel your breath filling your body and focus your attention on your breath as you exhale.
You can do this practice sitting,
Standing,
Lying down,
Or even walking.
No matter what you choose,
Let each cycle of inhales and exhales be deep and full.
Keep breathing.
Everything you desire in life is a reflection of your values.
Our dreams and our goals represent the things we care most about,
The things we feel we must have in order to experience complete and true fulfillment.
Take a deep breath in and out through your nose and call to mind one desire or dream that you have for yourself.
Once you have that in mind,
Ask yourself what values are at the heart of this desire.
For each external goal,
The dream home,
The dream car,
The dream body,
The dream role,
The dream relationship,
There's an internal goal,
An inner experience that matters deeply to you.
For example,
If you want to travel to a new place,
Some of your values might be freedom,
Adventure,
And learning.
If you want to manifest a romantic partner,
Some of your values might be security,
Connection,
And love.
If you want to share your voice or your art with the world,
It's because you value self-expression,
Wisdom,
And creativity.
I'll give you some time to reflect on your own.
Again,
The question is,
What are the core values at the heart of your goal?
Return your attention to your breath now.
Start to return your attention to your breath.
Take a few slow,
Deep inhales and exhales in and out through the nose.
Now ask yourself,
How can I honor these values in my life right now?
What small shifts can I make to really live out these values in my life just as it is now?
The beautiful thing about knowing your values is that you don't have to wait for the future to live a life full of things that nourish your soul.
You can have those things now simply by making a few different choices.
Before we close,
I'll invite you to create a personal affirmation that you can use to keep yourself connected to your values.
So take another deep,
Beautiful breath here and fill in the blank.
I care deeply about blank,
And so I prioritize blank.
For example,
I care deeply about community,
So I prioritize spending quality time with my friends.
I'll give you some time to reflect.
I care deeply about blank,
And so I prioritize blank.
Once you've settled on a statement that feels resonant and powerful,
Breathe it in and repeat it silently or aloud.
Beautiful.
Take a moment to simply notice how that affirmation feels.
Notice any sensations or emotions that are coming up and just with them.
Living in alignment with our values is an ongoing journey.
It requires lots of check-ins with yourself,
Lots of willingness to survey your life and do the work of letting go of whatever's not in alignment and reprioritizing what is.
But what greater gift than to live each day knowing that you're acting in accordance with what matters most to you.
I invite you to reflect on this exercise and to share your values and priorities in the discussion forum.
What is it that you value the most,
And are you actually prioritizing this in your life?
If not,
What is one change you can make starting right now?
Take a closing breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.
And another big inhale in through the nose and sigh it out.
One last breath in and out.
Thank you for practicing with me.
