It’s easy to get lost
in today’s fast-paced world. Traffic, economic stress and social media can make
anyone forget what really matters. But maybe all this chaos has a deeper cause,
something quieter and more dangerous: the slow death of values.
OK, kind of dramatic, but
since many years I have been observing people stopped using values at the time
of taking decisions. Yes, some code of ethics remained, but it was not
something like values or principles, ingrained to a person’s compass.
And we rarely stop to
reflect. We move, act, react… but seldom pause to ask questions such as:
What is guiding my decisions?
What is truly important to me?
What am I using as the main element in my personal compass?
This lack of
reflection on our values may be contributing to the present situation, the way
we live and even the identity crisis of younger generations, the disconnection
in relationships and the weariness felt by so many. We’ve traded what really
matters for what matters for the moment or what feels urgent…
So, let’s ask again: Why
are values important?
I give you two answers:
- Values give life
meaning. They help us face
crises without losing our integrity. They help us build stronger families,
organizations, and societies. And they remind us that it’s not just about
surviving, but living with dignity, kindness and purpose.
- Values define our
actions. They help us define
which actions we should make at a certain moment, particularly when there are
many possibilities. And so, they are a key part of our self-leadership.
- Values are part of our
compass… OK, I was talking
about two answers and this was touched before, but, please, understand it that
values correspond to the south of our compass and they support in a
definite way our vision of the future (north). Without values as a real part
of our lives, we won’t be able, or at least it will be quite difficult, to
build up a fulfilling future.
The world may not
change overnight.
But we can talk about
values again. And keep on talking about them…
And living them more…
