Core Values. I has them.
 

So, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my values and goals recently.The exercise is to determine your 5 top "core" values.

After a great deal of thought, here are mine. Try not to make too much fun of me, dear Cellarites. If you know yours, and are willing to share, that's fine, but I completely understand they might be personal, too.

Independence
(health, mobility/strength, financial security, personal security/safety, singledom, control)

Intellectuality
(intellectual curiosity & pursuit, creativity, learning, teaching, intelligence)

Joy
(family love, relationships/friends, nature, dance, spirituality, art/beauty)

Nonconformity
(different drummer, freedom, alternative living, whimsy, FTW)

Serenity
(peace & quiet, low stress/low activity, relaxation, zen)

I think I first ran into this reading "Smart Women Finish Rich" by David Bach, wherein he makes the point that you should spend your money in line with your values. And make goals in line with your values, and actually live your life pursuant to them, etc.

Of course, that's assuming you know what your values are. Your own values--not other people's. I think you really run into trouble if you try to live your live according to other people's values--your parents', your church's, or some other subset of "must/should/ought." That's what happens to people in midlife when they suddenly wake up and go, WTF? This isn't the way I want to live my life!

I also think the process is valuable, trying to identify what is important to you. And it's so very personal: My "freedom" doesn't necessarily mean the same thing as your "freedom."

Anyway: If you are interested,here are some links on the subject.

The art of manliness: Defining your core values

David Bach article

We all cherish and value people whose values are in line with our own. For me his isn't about making other peoples values my own it is about sharing like mindedness.

Happiness
Health
Hope
Honesty
Humor

Two more add-ons

security
self-reliance.

I must add two more though because those first five values don't matter much if there isn't any security and self-reliance.

some things surprised me during this process. I found I had to grope for words that meant what I wanted them to mean. "Singledom," "intellectuality," and the like are maybe made up. I came up with "serenity" finally after using "peace" and a bunch of other stuff.

I was surprised that being single was one of my basic sub-values, and not just a result of them.

Family
Health
Peace
Balance
Security

it can be hard to separate values from goals. I mean -- health. Is health a value? or a goal? It could be either. Security is a goal, really, a basic need. That's why I bundled good health and financial and personal security into my value of "independence." Although I guess independence could be a goal, too. fardle!

Im stuck in a rut goal/value-wise. Juggling our finances so that we can save and spend at the same time is taking up most of my energy. Ive been working hard at getting our debt down, too. Its an up and down battle. I wish I could break free of it, because it seems almost every decision I make is related to money.

but do you spend your money in line with your values? This is one real great reason to sit down and figure this out. Maybe you're spending a lot of your money keeping up with someone else's values.

If you're in a rut, maybe take the time to set some of these values down, and come up with your own list.

Nope. Im 48, I stopped living according to someone else's values a long time ago.

Well, that's good. You say that every decision you make comes down to money. Can you make a plan, then automate some of it? then forget about it? (mostly)

It is too exhausting to have core values. I have satellite values and vague fears.

Curiosity
Loyalty
Integrity
Novelty
Serenity

"novelty"? What does that mean to you? Seems odd for a core value that you base your life on. Is it the cult of the new that attracts you?

'Curiosity' and 'Novelty' might be seen as similar.

I once stated to someone that the only reason I bother to stay alive is
1. Duty (to only three people, my husband, my mother and my grandmother)
2. Curiosity (but as a cynical pessimist, it's hard to believe that it'll be worth it)

I've added some element of novelty to that list -- travel to new places, try different things... if I find myself stuck staring at a metaphorical wall for 24 hours a day, I'd opt out in a hurry -- unless (of course) it was contradicted by my admittedly limited sense of loyalty.

I guess you might also call it hedonism.

curiosity is one of mine, too, but I bundled it into intellectuality. It's kind of hard to come up with the right categories.

Stuff like this is why you are priceless! :)