Compassion

One Hour, One Value, One Change

Values are the things that are important to us, the foundation of our lives. They are deeply held principles that guide our choices and behaviours and influence our emotions. Values are the core of who we are. They are our motivators, our drivers, the passion in our hearts and the reason why we do the things we do.

We all want to feel good. Yet the strong connection between values and wellbeing is under-appreciated. When we are not aligned with our values, our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others will suffer. However, when we are clear about our values and live our lives in accordance with them, we feel great and are empowered to help others too.

We are wired to be social animals. We need to connect with others. When we connect with the values of compassion and generosity the chemical response in our bodies spreads a feeling of wellbeing not only to us and those we are connecting with, but even to anyone looking on. A positive ripple spreads out. Similarly, when we don’t live our values to the full in our lives, our own wellbeing suffers and there is a ripple effect on our friends and families, organisations and communities. For a better world we need to live our values to the full, connecting authentically and compassionately through our values with ourselves and others in everything we think, say or do.

World Values Day challenges us to think about our most important values and to act on them. This year our theme is Values Bring Us Together.  By being more aware of our values and by acting on them, we can change ourselves, those around us, and the world for the better.

The challenge is to:

• Think about all the values that are important to you.
• Identify a value that is especially important to you and to those around you and reflect on whether you are really living that value, both in relation to yourself and in relation to others.
• Think of a way to put that value into action in a way that strengthens your connection to others (for instance in your family, workplace, or local community). Keep it as simple and practical as you can.
• Then DO IT and tell the world about it! Share on social with #WorldValuesDay – use images, gifs, or take a selfie with our pre-made template during or after the action.