I’ve been doing some soul searching recently. Turns out (based on some personality profiling at work) that I’m very driven by my values.

In theory, if I’m doing something that goes against my values… I’m not going to be able to do it very well because it doesn’t quite align with the way I operate.

So a question popped up. What are the values that drive me?

Turns out it’s a question that I’ve never really considered before. I did some googling and found some questions to answer to get to the bottom of what they might be, and I found a list of suggested values.

One popped up that eclipsed all the rest, and it turns out I’ve known it all along. It’s even tattooed on my body!

L O V E

One of the things I can’t stop harping on about at the moment is time. Time goes so unbelievably quickly. It’s already the end of May. Wasn’t it Christmas like, yesterday?

Before we know it, years will have gone by. Which makes me think that all of the minutes we have are super important, and we need to make sure that we’re happy in each and every one of those.

For me the key to success is love.

Let’s take work for example. Typically we’re at work for at least 35 hours a week. We spend more time awake at work than we do at home, if you can’t throw yourself into something and give it all your passion, then what’s the point?

And the same goes for things at home. You gotta do you, and you gotta make sure you’re doing everything with love.

Whether it’s gardening, travelling 14 hours to a remote Scottish isle, hinching the house, loving your bestie or just sitting on the sofa watching hours upon hours of Netflix.

#YOLO

Sometimes it’s a good idea to do a bit of soul searching to figure out what’s important to you, and figure out what you should be focusing on to live your best life. Not to sound too much like J Biebs, but you do really only live once. Those minutes really do matter.

So on my quest for value finding, I came across a few questions to answer that really helped me to ~realign with myself~ and point me in the direction I wanted to go in. I spent 15 minutes answering them, and boy was it helpful.

What’s important to you in life?

Happiness, love and passion. Full freaking stop.

If you could have any career, without worrying about money or other practical constraints, what would you do?

That’s a good question. I think it would be ever changing. Is there one thing that truly captures my attention all the time? Not really. If I’m not gardening, I’m drawing, or cleaning, or playing video games, or eating, or making up songs about eating Cheerios, or learning something (Spanish, or maybe coding)… do we ever truly stop?

My boss would say, “I’m going to push you for an answer,” and I think my answer would have to be a freelance Marketeer (mainly because that’s what I know). But it’d be a way to do something I know how to do, and be able to give myself flexibility, the ability to dip my toes into many pools.

Is that a weird answer? I’m not sure what the typical answer to this would be. Pls tell me yours in the comments so I don’t feel like a total loon.

When you’re reading articles or stories online, what sort of story or behaviour tends to inspire you?

Technology and nature are the two things that really peak my interest.

Technology has changed so significantly in such a short space of time, it’s fascinating what people have created, and how that changes the world.

And nature, because it’s just fascinating. This incredible planet that we live on must still have so many secrets.

BRB while I sign up for a National Geographic subscription and figure out how to become the next David Attenborough.

What do you want to change about the world or about yourself?

I’m all about spreading the love, baby. People sharing things they’re passionate about is mega inspiring. And I think an inspirational world/person is what makes life better.

What are you most proud of? 

My ability to be optimistic and get stuff done. I’m always confident things can be done, and generally, regardless of what it is, I’m confident I can do it.

That might be a weird answer seeing as it’s not a ‘Thing’ I’m proud of. But I’m pretty proud of myself for making it this far, to be honest.

When are you the happiest?

Cup of tea in hand after just having achieved something. I suppose really I’m happiest when I feel like I’m having some well earned rest.

I’d love to know your answers to these questions. Or even if this stopped to make you think.

I’ve been thinking about my values, and subsequently writing this post, for about a month now, and have thought about actually how important this it to me every single day since.

So it’s time to give the blog a new focus for a while: love! And however that manifests itself.

*Images from: the amazing Everygirl & sfgirlbybay