Robert MacPhee’s “Living a Values Based Life” shows the importance of being clear about one’s highest values if one wants to live a satisfying, productive, meaningful and purpose driven life. This book is the solution to the CRAZY fact that most people do not know and cannot clearly articulate what their highest values are.
Part I of the book opens with an explanation of why values clarity is so important and what the costs are of not being clear about what our highest values are. Included is the Change Paradox Model which explains in simple terms why human beings both desire and resist change and why values clarity is the key to breaking free from this paradox and creating the “better” life we want. Better, of course, being measured by our own values...
“Living a Values Based Life” includes a unique interactive process that guides people through discovering and being able to articulate their own highest values, what is most important to them, IN TWO DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT AND COMPLEMENTARY AREAS:
“Priorities” - These values are nouns, things, statements of WHAT in our lives is most important to us. Examples are family, health, relationships, contribution, travel and career success.
“Ways of Being” - These values are adjectives, the characteristics and qualities we most want to exhibit, how we want to show up in the world. Examples are loving, kind, strong, compassionate and courageous.
Part II of the book delivers the step-by-step process for discovering a person’s highest values in both of these categories. Clearly delineating the two different categories when helping a person discover their highest values is the main differentiator between the values clarification approach in this book and other values work currently in the marketplace. Most other values clarification strategies being taught are confusing, difficult to apply and as a result, often end up in a drawer or file somewhere. The “Living a Values Based Life” approach reduces confusion and makes the values discovered by the reader both applicable and implementable.
Part III of the book focuses on the application and implementation of the reader’s newly discovered values clarity. First is a section that shows how to assess whether a person is currently living their life in alignment with their highest values and, if not, which are the most important areas of their life to give extra time and attention to improve their life experience and results.
This is followed by a number of strategies to ensure that the reader knows what to DO differently and how to BE different in order to create the life they really want. The life that is in alignment with their highest values rather than the life that someone else wants for them.
There is a section at the end of the book about how this work directly applies in organizations and for leaders and an appendix that provides resources to support the reader in implementing what they have learned and sharing it with others.
