Living Into Our Values 

Content and exercise covered on Values Clarification pages 185–197 of Dare to Lead.  

Refer to the list on page 3 and identify your two values—the beliefs that are most important to you, that  help you find your way in the dark, that fill you with a feeling of purpose.  

When selecting your values, ask yourself the following questions: 

• Does this define me?  

• Is this who I am at my best? 

• Is this a filter that I use to make hard decisions? 

Value 1: Family

Value 2: Community

Taking Values From BS to Behavior

Answer the following questions to dig into your values: 

Value 1: 

1. What are one or two behaviors that support  your value? Spend time with family, prioritize family events 

2. What are one or two slippery behaviors that are  outside your value? Don’t open up to people in my family sometimes and share my problems

3. What’s an example of a time when you were  fully living into this value? My grandparents both died this year and I spoke at their services and that was way out of my comfort zone

 

Value 2: 

1. What are one or two behaviors that support  your value? I like to be around people and play on three hockey teams. Also work at summer camps and a school to help kids build community.

2. What are one or two slippery behaviors that are  outside your value? Sometimes I get lazy and isolate a little bit.

3. What’s an example of a time when you were fully living into this value? My work at Bishop McVinney feels like really building community with the kids and helping them build community with each other.

Keeping in mind both of your values, answer the following: 

1. Who is someone who knows your values and supports your efforts to live into them? My Mom

2. What does support from this person look like? She checks on me and wants to make sure I am feeling connected and supported. She encourages my relationships with family and helps me pay attention to my feelings around community and belonging.

3. What can you do as an act of self-compassion to support yourself in the hard work of living into  your values? Sometimes I have to take a minute and put less pressure on myself. Let myself know that I will mess and it’s ok.

4. What are the early warning indicators or signs that you’re living outside your values? 

I feel more down than up, don’t interact as much, get angry too much.

5. What does it feel like when you’re living into your values? 

I feel strong, positive, happy.

6. How can you check yourself?

I need to take more time to think about, check in with people more, ask how I’m doing and pay attention to the early warning signs

List of Values 

Accountability Achievement 

Activism  

Adaptability 

Adventure 

Altruism 

Ambition 

Authenticity 

Balance 

Beauty 

Being the best Being a good sport Belonging 

Career 

Caring 

Co-creation  

Collaboration 

Commitment 

Community 

Compassion 

Competence 

Confidence 

Connection 

Contentment 

Contribution 

Cooperation 

Courage 

Creativity 

Curiosity 

Dignity 

Diversity 

Efficiency 

Environment 

Equality 

Ethics 

Excellence 

Fairness 

Faith 

Family 

Financial stability Forgiveness 

Freedom 

Friendship 

Fun 

Future generations Generosity 

Giving back 

Grace 

Gratitude 

Growth 

Harmony 

Health 

Heritage 

Home 

Honesty 

Hope 

Humility 

Humor 

Inclusion 

Independence Initiative 

Integrity 

Intuition 

Job security  

Joy 

Justice 

Kindness 

Knowledge 

Leadership 

Learning 

Legacy 

Leisure 

Love 

Loyalty 

Making a difference Nature 

Openness 

Optimism 

Order 

Parenting 

Patience 

Patriotism 

Peace 

Perseverance 

Personal fulfillment Power 

Pride 

Recognition 

Reliability 

Resourcefulness Respect 

Responsibility 

Risk-taking 

Security 

Self-discipline Self-expression Self-respect 

Serenity 

Service 

Simplicity 

Spirituality 

Stewardship 

Success 

Teamwork 

Thrift 

Time 

Tradition 

Travel 

Trust 

Truth 

Understanding Uniqueness 

Usefulness 

Vision 

Vulnerability 

Wealth 

Wellbeing 

Wholeheartedness Wisdom