The Secret to Happiness? Embrace What You Value Most in Life

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Many years ago, when I launched my health care communications business {http://www.ehbcommunications.com}, I had high hopes of setting my own schedule and taking time for the things that mattered most to me in life. In addition to dedicating myself to my burgeoning business, I also intended to spend time with family and friends, exercise regularly and eat healthy meals, and immerse myself in the natural world as often as possible.

Unfortunately, my "grand plan" didn't work out exactly as intended. The good news was that my business blossomed seemingly overnight, allowing me to attract some wonderful clients and writing assignments. The not-so-great news? I quickly found myself consumed by my business, often working crazy hours to meet tight deadlines. Over time, many of the things that mattered most to me - like relationships and healthy living - took a backseat to my business. I seldom spent time with family or friends. I rarely exercised. I ate a lot of fatty, processed foods. And little by little, I became stressed out and burnt out.

Finally, I decided enough was enough. As a writer, specializing in health and wellness I was well aware of the damage that stress could cause, both physically and mentally. So I became committed to finding a way to run a successful business AND lead a healthy, balanced life. And I did, although my journey to wellness wasn't exactly a linear process.

Today, as a wellness coach, when clients come to me and say their life is out of control, we look at their core values and how they're putting them into action (or not) in their lives. By core values, I mean the things that matter most to them, which often shape who they are. Everyone's values are different, but some examples include honesty, integrity, healthy living, personal growth, service, spirituality, relationships, accountability, nature, and creativity.

The reason it's important to be aware of, and in alignment with, our core values is because when we're out of alignment, it's not uncommon to feel irritable and resentful or stressed out and out of balance.

To use my own example, from above, although I very much valued relationships, healthy living, and spending time in nature, I wasn't honoring those values. So I felt stressed out and irritable much of the time. But as I began embracing my core values, I felt happier and more in balance.

So if you're interested in living a more authentic life, here are some questions to consider:

What are your top 10 values in life? Sometimes it's helpful to create a written list and rank each value based on importance.
On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you (with 1 being not at all satisfied and 10 being totally satisfied) with the way you're putting each of these values into action?
If you're dissatisfied with how well you're aligned with one or more of your values, what steps could you take to help make that happen?
When would you like to begin taking those steps?

The path to living an authentic life isn't always smooth and linear. But as someone who's traveled that path, I believe the journey is well worth the effort. Because, when we're aligned with our core values, we're often happier, healthier, and more enthusiastic about our lives.

Ellen H. Brown

http://wellnessjourneys.com