Values - Positive Psychology & Storytelling - Module 6
Values:
Video – https://youtu.be/272ImBEvsX4 (Links to an external site.)
Story 6 : What a Woman Wants - adapted from King Arthur and the Riddle.
Story Based Reflection :
- Which part of the story connected with you?
- What do you value the most?
- If you were to ask yourself what does a woman want -What will your answer be?
Knowing Values:
Values are the core principles that guide our behavior, they are freely chosen and unique to us.
Values reflect a person’s right or wrong and what one stands for. Values help us understand what we really want in life. Focusing on our values and character strengths is vitally important to our well being. By building on these foundations, we can flourish and thrive in our careers and our work and bring our unique contributions into the world.
A study conducted by Dr. David Creswell et al in the University of California (2005) shows that affirming Values helps keep our neuro-endocrine and psychological response to stress at low levels. The study also showed that those with high self-resources and had affirmed values had the least stress.
Values are of two types:
Extrinsic Values : These are driven by external factors, a need that drives us to acquire fame, wealth, image, popularity and success.
Intrinsic Values : These are connected to our health, community, relationships and well being. Pursuit of these matter to most people and contribute to our thriving.
Engaging in activities such as meditation, mindfulness, gardening, social work, helps to connect with our intrinsic values.
Values can be Culture driven, Socially driven and Family driven, indicating we can have
- specific values we uphold for our Family and Self,
- certain values that we derive from being part of a Society or a community
- and values that has been passed on through culture and tradition.
Though there appear to many values to choose from, our values are stable (we hold onto the same values for longer periods of time). Values can change under some circumstances, especially the values we choose to change through inquiry and introspection.
Eg: In my family, growing up, there were many practices ( even taboos) surrounding women and menstruation and they were valued as something important handed down through our culture. As a woman and mother, myself I have consciously let go these practices as I do not value them anymore.
We can identify our values by answering this one question: What do you choose to stand for?
Identify your value through this simple exercise:
A time when you were Happiest: What were you doing? Who were you with?
A time when you felt most fulfilled and satisfied: What were you doing? Who were you with?
A time when you felt most proud of yourself: What were you doing? Who were you with?
Determine your Values in terms of Happiness, Fulfillment and Pride.
Or
Here are some to choose from:
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Make a list of 10 of them - don't think too much - just trust your intuition and choose 10.
- Prioritise: which one would I choose as the top 5
- Prioritise again: which one would I let go to keep back 3.
- Reassess whether they feel correct and relate to who you are and what you stand for?
- We need to identify our top 3 Values and use them to guide behavior.
Knowing the Values you stand for is key to determining what is guiding you. Whenever we want to make a decision, try asking yourself if it connects to what you Value. You will find your decision making improves dramatically.
The Theory of Basic Human Values ( 1987) proposed by Dr.Shalom H Shwartz made an attempt to measure human values that were universal and found through cultures. In 2012 he and his colleagues published an article, further refining this theory into 19 values that act as "guiding principles in the life of a person or group".
You can read about it here for your own interest :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Basic_Human_Values (Links to an external site.)
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Highlights of the Module:
- Values are core principles that guide behavior
- We choose them
- They are unique to us
- There are two kinds of Values - Extrinsic and Intrinsic
- Developing Intrinsic Values such as Kindness, Authenticity etc contribute to thriving
- There are separate values we hold for self, society and family
- Identify your top 3 Values
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Topic Reflection Task:
Share a story from your life where you stood up for your Value.
Eg: Love for learning/ Education and authentic Kindness is my top value.
- Even when I was young ( at an age that I did not know I was guided by these values) I stood up for myself. Having completed my 10th standard exams with just 60 percent marks in ICSE board, I knew that I was not enjoying studying in this board - which was turning out to be too tough for me.
- I enrolled myself into a state board school on my own and came and informed my father, I had decided to change schools. Luckily my parents did not challenge me or stop me from making this change. Nor did they think less of me for changing boards.
- I ended up thoroughly enjoying my new school and high school education. Subsequently too, I have always decided what I wanted to study. I am driven by my value for education and love for learning!
- Share an OBJECT that you value highly and what does it tell about your Top Values. eg : I
have books all over my house and both my husband and I buy books
abundantly. It shows we value Learning very highly. One of my top values
is Love of Learning
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Reference :
Creswell JD, Welch WT, Taylor SE, Sherman DK, Gruenewald TL, Mann T. Affirmation of Personal Values Buffers Neuroendocrine and Psychological Stress Responses. Psychological Science. 2005;16(11):846-851. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01624.x
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Basic_Human_Values
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