National Evaluate Your Life Day

Along with being National Love Your Body Day, October 19th is National Evaluate Your Life Day. Created by Wellcat.com “to encourage everyone to check and see if they’re really headed where they want to be”, it seemed fitting as there’s been a lot of life questioning and inspiration going about these days….

From one of my favorite celebrities on Twitter:

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/iamdiddy/status/126354819203076097"]

[blackbirdpie url="http://twitter.com/#!/iamdiddy/status/126004592742907904"]

(side note: more Diddy is on the way tomorrow – we’ll be breaking out the CÎROC to celebrate!)

This was a quote posted as a status by a Facebook friend on Tuesday:

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.” —Rumi

But the post that Tina wrote yesterday really struck a chord with me, especially her final paragraph:

If anything, this post is a plea from me to you. A plea to take a close look at your life. Really take the time to consider your goals. Pay attention to how you spend your time. Determine if you ever feel you don’t have enough to give to the things that matter most. This post is not a plea for my benefit. It is a plea for yours. A plea to live the life that matches your values.

Her words made me wonder what values I held dear and was I working towards a life dedicated towards them. I stepped back to focus on the values that I found I held dear:

Achievement “is a thing done successfully, typically by effort, courage, or skill.” (source) Personal development is very important to me, so always having a goal to achieve is something I natural want in my every day life. Goals can be large (completing a half-marathon) or small (get to yoga class today), but the sense of accomplishment motivates me to do more.

Integrity “is to act according to what is right and wrong.” (source) I find I am most disappointed in myself when I’ve done something that goes against what is against the direction my moral compass wants me to go. I still hold guilt for words said and actions done because I knew in my heart it wasn’t right.

Community is “a group of interacting people… often [referring] to a group that shares some common values…”. (source) This probably comes as no surprise, but I’m a people person. I thrive when I’m with people I love – each moment I get to spend with family and friends feeds my soul more than words can express. I also thrive when I can connect people that share a connection. The Ohio Blogging Association meetups is a great example of how much joy I receive from this value. Getting together Cleveland bloggers to allow them to share their love for both things always inspires me to plan the next meeting.

Will I always hold these dear? Possibly, but not necessarily. And that is what this day is about – stepping back and figuring that out so you can lead the life you are meant to live.

What about you – what values do you hold dear? Check out this site for some inspiration!