Strong values, strong relationship with food

At MC, we talk a lot about the importance of values and acting in a way that brings us closer to our long-term goals. We also know that after years of diet drama and trauma, our perspective about what matters can get really warped, and it’s easy to lose sight of what our true values are at all!

So let’s start at the top- what are values?

Values are our guiding principles- they are good indicators of what feels “right” and in line with who we want to be and how we want to live. When we are behaving in a way that does not line up with our values, it can bring us a lot of distress. And when we aren’t sure of what those values are, we can feel confused, indecisive, or without meaning or purpose.

So with that knowledge, it’s clear as to why we would want to get a handle on what our guiding values are. To get started, take a look at this list and pick out 3 values that really resonate with you. I know there’s a temptation to bring more than 3- or all of them!- but it’s important to narrow down what’s most important so you can get a clear sense of where you stand.

Check out this list of common guiding values below:

Achievement 

Adventure 

Assertiveness 

Authenticity 

Balance 

Clarity 

Compassion 

Connection 

Consistency 

Courage 

Creativity 

Dependability 

Discipline 

Enthusiasm 

Fairness 

Faith  

Family 

Flexibility 

Freedom 

Fulfillment 

Fun 

Gratitude 

Growth 

Happiness 

Health 

Honesty 

Humility 

Humor 

Independence 

Integrity 

Joy 

Kindness 

Love 

Loyalty 

Mindfulness 

Openness 

Optimism 

Passion 

Peace 

Perseverance  

Respect 

Self-respect 

Service  

Security 

Stability 

Strength 

Success 

Supportiveness 

Sustainability 

Trust 

Truth

Uniqueness 

Vulnerability 

Wisdom

Once you’ve selected 3 values, you can start to think about these values in the context of your daily decisions. Ask yourself, “Does this action or behavior seem to take me closer to my value of _______ or farther away?” When we act in a way that is not in accordance with our values, we should have a really good reason why! Because enough times of acting against our values will leave us feeling defeated and disconnected from who we really want to be.

As always, know that Team MC and the Beacon are here to help. We’re here rooting you on always. 

Xoxo,

Team Molly

P.S. Want even more support? Check out Molly’s youtube channel and subscribe to the Sunday Love Letter to get support, information, and motivation from Molly each week.

Photo by Deniz Altindas on Unsplash