Four values to consider for a great life (0010)
We all have values…some we choose…others choose us. And our values influence our decisions and how we interact with others and live our lives.
Here are four values worth considering to live an extraordinary life…and they might also influence your financial decisions.
Be Authentic
Nothing requires more emotional energy than trying to determine someone’s hidden agenda. However, when you are authentic, you can offer a breath of fresh air in your relationships. No longer does someone have to read between the lines about who you are. I am often reminded of the quote, “Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear a word you are saying!”
2. Develop Discernment
A wise person once said, “If you are pressured to make a decision before you are ready, say no, and you will be right 99% of the time.”
Discernment is the ability to think before you act. In its simplest definition, discernment is nothing more than the ability to decide the best course of action after considering truth, error, right, and wrong. Discernment helps us make the right decisions for the right reasons.
Discernment does not mean “going with your gut.” Ready, fire, aim typically doesn’t produce the results you hope for. The same is true for financial discernment as well.
3. Pursue Humility
Humility is a value of strength, not weakness. If you have experienced success in your life and leadership, people will often want to provide a pedestal for you to stand on. Be careful. The taller the pedestal, the easier it may be to fall.
I remember hearing a professional athlete mention that their most significant adjustment to their success was having people twice their age open doors for them. A simple change in their life but a potentially dangerous one if not managed with humility.
Financial humility means not standing on a pedestal thinking you can do it alone. Instead, seek counsel from trusted advisors.
4. Live Generously
Don’t get caught living a life of consumption assumption: the assumption that consumption always leads to fulfillment.
On the other hand, don’t get caught living a life of scarcity. Holding too tightly to everything…including your money…can create tension in a relationship…and cramps in your hands!
A life of generosity will ask this question after receiving a financial blessing: “How can we leverage a portion of this blessing to benefit someone else?”
As always, if you ever want to check in about aligning your values with your financial plan, click this link, and let’s schedule a time to talk.