What lies within {values}

I'd like to say I have good values. Then you would probably ask me, "Jen, what are your values?". It dawned on me the other day that if someone were to ask me what my values are....would I be able to put into words a coherent answer? All I could come up with is NO I couldn't and the last thing I was someone to say to me is "Mr. Madison Jen, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul". 

I started thinking about my values and the best way to put into words what my values really actually are. Could it be that what I thought they were might in fact not really be mine, but instead me trying to please someone else by taking on their values as my own? Or could it be that what I thought were my values really aren't the best representation of where I want to be as a person, what I want those looking at my life from the outside to see?

To help me corral my thoughts and ultimately a list of my top values, I used Personal Values Card Sort  from the University of New Mexico. Apparently, one is supposed to pick 25 5 very important values. Yes, I had 25, now for someone who doesn't feel a clear purpose or an easily identifiable passion that is alot of very important. I worked through this process over the time of a few weeks and ended up with a fancy diagram of little pieces of paper on my guest bed.

Through the process I was able to narrow my values (and essentially goals) down to less than 25. As I was talking about this one day someone threw this out there.

And I realized this is probably my #1 value/goal. Yes, somethings I do in excess, which then usually leads to not enough, but the my argument is that I don't want to become a boring bump on a log and so its ok to buy those expensive boots I've been pining for for over a year, its ok to take that trip, its ok to set a strict budget that I try vainly to stick to most of the time, its ok to eat cereal for dinner, its ok to splurge on the prime rib buffet.

Every once in a while you gotta kick your heels up!

Shameless plug: Don't forget to come back and link up with Almost Gypsy Soul for Soul Food Friday this Friday! I even remembered to set up the actual link this month!