Last week I suggested that values and integrity
were the key to self-esteem. So what are values? Values are deeply held
beliefs that guide us in what is right and wrong.
Values are subjective, because every
single human being views life through their own subjective point of view. Every
person’s point of view is unique and therefore every person’s set of values is
unique. Our values act as our compass in our lives.
We are made up of our personal
values. Our personal values are a combination of values ingrained in us from an
early age as well as ones we have adopted ourselves over the years.
What makes values
important? Because they are a set of rules we
have for leading our lives, they let you know what is important to you and help
you prioritise. Values help you gain clarity and focus in your life. Values
help you make decisions- which leads us to integrity.
What Is Integrity and
Where Does It Fit In? According to the Merriam-Webster
Online Dictionary, integrity is a firm adherence to a code of especially
moral or artistic values.
In order to be a person of
integrity we have to live up to the values we hold to be important. Again
notice how subjective this all is—the values we hold to be important.
With integrity, it
doesn’t matter what your values are. It matters whether or not you live up to
them. Integrity is the integration between
your values and your actions.
So How Are Values and
Integrity Connected to Self Esteem?
Society may expect certain things from us, yet we are the ones who choose
whether or not we internalize external social values and make them our own.
One of the things that I have
learned over the years is that it is okay for other people to have different
points of view, and if I truly believe something is right, in general or right
for me, it does not matter what others think. I have begun to trust my own
value system and not rely only on what others think.
Each of us has many values. Not
all of our values are as important to us at the same time. Things also shift
over time.
If you are enjoying this series, then I invite you to join me next week.
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