Your values are the standards of behavior and ways of doing things that you think are correct in the way you live and work. When your actions and decisions align with your values then you show others that you have integrity, you become a good role model, and you experience peace of mind because you're confident you're doing the right thing. When you act in a way that goes against your values, you can feel unhappy and bad about yourself. You can make mistakes, and you may find yourself behaving unethically. You'll have noticed different people have different values and these often determine the things they do in life. For example, a life-saving surgeon will have different values from a respected musician, who will have different values from an award-winning designer. So do you know what your values are? To identify them, start by thinking of times when you were happiest. What were you doing? Why were you so happy? Next, remember times when you were really proud of yourself. Why did you feel proud? Then, think about times when you felt really fulfilled and satisfied with what you were doing. What need or desire did you meet in these situations? Once you've thought about why these situations are so memorable, make a list of the values that led to these outcomes. These can be values like honesty, openness, success, creativity, or self-reliance. Or, they could be any of hundreds of other equally worthwhile values. You might end up with a long list, and that's fine. But, you need to focus on the values that best define you. So your next step is to prioritize these values, and identify the four or five you think are most important to you. This can be a challenging step, so give yourself some time to really think about which of these are most meaningful. By doing this, you'll take an important step towards living a happier, more authentic, and less stressed life Now read the article that accompanies this video to find out more about identifying and living by your values. The article also includes a list of more than 100 values to help you decide which ones are most important to you.