“Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”
We are often at the mercy of the things that matter least, and those things shouldn’t dictate how we live our lives. So we must first start with values and a vision for our lives and let them be our guide.
I started my book Water the Bamboo with a chapter on values because I believe values are the roots of your bamboo success. We all want our bamboo to grow 90 feet in 60 days. And surprisingly, giant timber bamboo roots can grow over 100 yards wide. Could you imagine if bamboo grew 90 feet tall and didn’t have roots? It would tumble over!
You want to take your true, deep values with you as you grow so that you’re always rooted, just like 90 foot tall bamboo needs its roots. It’s a trap to let your bamboo grow without really knowing who you are and what you care about; you’ll tumble over. Values are like a lighthouse giving us signals and meaning--they are vows to yourself and keep you grounded.
Values can change as you grow and change, so staying connected and on track with what you value is critical. Here are five steps Bamboo Farmers take to stay connected and practice living their values:
Identify the times you were happiest.
Identify the times you were most proud.
Identify the times you were most fulfilled and satisfied.
Determine what your top values are. Start with a list and whittle it down to no more than five.
Practice living those values. Create a list of small actions and behaviors that align with your values.
These steps, my friend, pave the road to happiness. If you can figure out what your top five values are — create action items around those values, and do it daily, weekly, and monthly — you'll be way happier than you are now. I promise you.
This post is based on a podcast episode by Greg Bell.
Listen below for the full episode: