Are you digging deep enough?

Waking up today I was a little hazier that usual and then reality hit me. My family has deserted me or I have deserted them maybe more to the point. As I write, Adriana (wife), Sabina, Tyrone and Daniella (kids) are all on board a Qantas flight to Los Angeles and will be ushered down to San Diego to spend a month with Adriana's sister's family. I decided to stay a week longer at home to get some business dealings all sorted and then I will meet them there in a weeks time. Now that I've explained myself I'll get to the point. My greatest and deepest core value is my family and I already miss them but there is an upside; as we must always find in times of adversity.

I have some deadlines that others want me to meet for my own business interests and I can now devote the next week to solely satisfying my business/hobby needs and the other parties. If the family was here with me now I wouldn't be dedicating the time required to meet the deadlines others are requiring of me. Notice I didn't say couldn't. Because I work for myself this may seem strange but I have committed to an agreement that requires me to produce a product that someone else will sell for me!!!

The point being I was prepared to miss their required deadline because I was satisfying my family values and in turn keeping my passion for life as high as a kite. At the end of the day if I wasn't happy with my life (by not satisfying my deepest and dearest values) my output will be substandard, my relationship with my family substandard and my drive and purpose would lose its sting pretty quickly. Opportunities to make money will always be there but you and your values may not be so make the most of them.

What's my point? Are you aware of your deepest inner core values and if you are; are you satisfying them on a daily or weekly basis? If the answer is no to any of the questions above you are probably not as satisfied and as passionate about your life as you could be. You do have a choice and it's about time you started making the right ones for you - not for others or to satisfy others needs. Ask yourself theses 3 questions to start digging deep to find your own deepest core values.

1. If you were guaranteed success in anything you did what would you like to be doing right now in your life - and what emotions does the thought of you living this life stir up for you?
2. Do you hop into bed at the end of each day knowing your actions during the day have scratched the itch your values create and do you wake up in the morning looking forward to attacking your day passionately driving your satisfaction levels for living to an all time high.
3. What would you like said about you when you retire or as we all will; move to another life -what would you like to be remembered for most in your life?

Answering these questions is not a 5 minute exercise but if you are serious about living a life with passion and fulfilment I suggest you ask them and take the time to record your answers. It will start you on the way to getting your own personal mission statement. Answer the questions in order otherwise the exercise will not be as effective. Leave a comment so I can see how you went.