“Do not be misled by what you see around you, or be influenced by what you see. You live in a world which is a playground of illusion, full of false paths and values.” – Sai Baba
On April 14, 1912, at 10:00 p.m., the Titanic crashed into an iceberg in the mid-Atlantic and four hours later sank. The story is told that one woman while boarding a life boat asked if she could go back to her room. She was given only three minutes to do so. She hurried down the corridors, already tilting dangerously, and quickly scurried through the gambling room piled ankle-deep in money.
In her room were her golden treasures waiting to be taken, but instead, she snatched up three oranges and hurried back to the boat. One hour before, she would have quickly chosen diamonds over oranges, but in the face of death, values are seen more clearly.
Unfortunately, many people go through life having no clear sense of their true values. Instead, their desires are molded by the culture and the advertisements that bombard upon them each day. As a result, they find no consistency in life. No unity. Their desires change as fast as the culture and they are quickly swept off their feet by the newest fashion, the most recent technology, or the latest worldly pursuit. In exchange, they sacrifice a life committed to their values.
In contrast, a firm conviction of your heart’s values leads to a single, unified life – one that is not tossed about as easily. It is built on the things you hold most true to your heart. And no new advertising campaign is able to change it.
The first step in finding this inside-out simplicity is to identify your deepest heart values. This process should not be made too difficult. It is highly valuable – even life-changing – yet, remains neglected in countless lives:
- Grab a piece of paper and pencil.
- Across the top, write “What I Most Want to Accomplish with My Life.”
- Write down whatever comes to mind.
- When the moment feels right, stop.
Of course, the harder step is to actually live by those values when the pressures of a consumerist society pull you elsewhere. Living these values out will require careful evaluation, intentional decision-making, a commitment to live different than everyone else, and constant reevaluation.
But taking the time to remember what’s most important will always pave the way for a life better lived. And it ought not go neglected in our lives.
jaysonjulian says
Have a lot pf stuff going on havent been to happy readind this i think i wole up a little
Taline says
I really loved this post! I’m going to take your advice and find my deepest heart values…thanks for a great read! :)
kent julian says
I write and update my list every year, Joshua. Then, about every week, I review it. What a difference this makes in day-to-day life! Pretty amazing…
Currie says
This is powerful, Joshua, and I enJOY the discussion above about what words mean, realising that words “mean” so many different things to each of us.
Leaving the World a bit brighter, lighter, and more gentled is what matters most to me as far as what I want to “accomplish” at this stage.
I love the use of the word “unified” in your post. That seems to BE what is happening in me as I continue letting go of “things” and “stuff.”
I am discovering in me someone far more simple and whole by NOT trying to fit me into the World. I am discovering deep contentedness in simply BEing, whether I fit in or the World fits me.
Amanda says
JUST last night I finished reading Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Pilgrim’. The main character journeys through the Road of San Tiago in search of his sword that will make him Master. In the end, he realizes that he must know and understand HOW he will wield his sword instead of focusing on where it is.
Reading this post, it has reinforced the lesson I learned through ‘The Pilgrim’. We live our life seeking out rewards but rarely do we stop to think why we want them. My advice is, after you make your “What I Most Want to Accomplish with My Life” List, take some time to think about each item on your list. Ask yourself WHY you want to accomplish those things i.e. what you will do with those accomplishments. Once you know that, your path becomes clearer.
brookeO says
I love this idea. What a great way to remind yourself of what is important. Thanks for another great read!
Brittany says
Thank you so much for your post today. It is very significant for me because this has been at the forefront of my mind lately. What you say is so true. We strive each day to live according to our values because if you don’t have values then where does that lead? Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom for somepeople to realize what they value and sometimes it takes a life changing event, such as the one you describe from the Titanic… for us it was the latter. A life changing event put it all into perspective for us and we began to live and to think differently. I am thankful for the change and the fulfillment living our lives brings us.
Gord Morrow says
Great post Joshua, It is abosolutely necessary to remember what is important if we really want have a great life. Pursuing things, status, money and so on will never provide that. I do have agree with Herbert though in that asking one’s self “what I most want to accomplish ” can be interpreted as really doing what everybody esle defines as a success. I think we can simple ask, “What is most important to me”. This will help us get what we are looking for as it will be based upon our values, not those of the external world.
Tara says
I really like framing the question this way. “What is most important” to me is not only easier for me to answer, but also feels more meaningful than “what I most want to accomplish.” I can’t accomplish raising smart, compassionate children, but it is most important to me. Likewise, I can’t accomplish a close walk with God or a lifelong marriage, at least not in the conventional sense, but those things are also at the top of my most important list.
Hubert Jäger says
Thanks Joshua, inspiring Post! There’s only one thing i don’t get. Why do you say
“What I Most Want to Accomplish with My Life.”. Does it always have to be about Accomplishing something? Couldn’t it also be “What really makes me feel good” or “What does really add value to my life”?
Regards
Hubert
joshua becker says
Thanks for the comment Hubert. I appreciate your second question more than the first. I think life should be about far more than seeking out what makes me feel good. In fact, I think deep-down rarely would someone say, “Chasing what really makes me feel good” is their life’s biggest goal. Your second question seems to arrive quicker at my thoughts.
That being said, it’s likely a matter of semantics. I think all of us want our life to count for something. And that’s what I meant by “accomplish.” To have an end goal for which we live our lives that is larger and more stable than the ever-shifting culture beneath us.
Lorilee @ Loving Simple Living.com says
I think we have put labels on accomplishment like ‘specific’ and ‘measurable’ and ‘tangible’ when often the things we truly want to accomplish aren’t any of these. I totally want my life to be an accomplishment, I just need to define what that is for myself.
Thanks for the exercise and the reminder. My husband and I have been talking about this for a while. It is tough stuff, but so worth it and foundational to everything else we do.
Hubert Jäger says
Thanks Lorilee,
these labels are what make me feel bad about the term. But as you say, i just need to define what that is for myself.
You’re very right.
Thank you!
Andre Kibbe says
Accomplishment implies contribution, a dimension of actualization missing from what makes “me feel good” or what adds value to “my” life.
Of course, you can view accomplishment in more cynical terms of status, but that’s not the vibe I’m picking up from Joshua’s post. It’s more about fulfillment through making a dent in the universe.
JennMarie says
Joshua, I really enjoyed your post today! Thank you for reminding us all what is more important in our lives…it’s not the things! Each day I wake up and try to put more value and appreciation into the people I come into contact with rather than the stuff that surrounds me!
Mohamed Tohami | Midway Simplicity says
He didn’t only remind us of what is important, he also reminded us of the little pleasurable things we take for granted.
JennMarie says
Mohamed, you are exactly right! Sometimes we lose the little things in all the noise we have around us.