My Actions and Choices Reflect my Values

My Actions and Choices Reflect my Values

It is pretty easy to lose track of who you are. Who you really are. We can fall into a pattern of playing the various roles that we think represent who we are, but do they really? We are often tasked with wearing the hats of parent, child, employee, supervisor, friend, and caretaker throughout our lives. When we have to fill so many different roles, it can be easier to put who you are and some of your values on the backburner in order to succeed in whichever goal we are pursuing.

While fragmenting who you are to fill a certain role may make it easier, as there are fewer personal barriers that can potentially get in the way of your goals, we risk losing who we are. When our values are not reflected in our actions, it can create a separation between our authentic self and the self we portray to the outside world. This, in turn, can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, fear, and a sense of feeling lost. Gee, I wonder why stifling who you are would lead to such experiences?



Our values can be influenced by a variety of sources. From our family values to those which guide our purchases, our values are an important part of who we are. While being able to be authentic in all aspects of our lives sounds like it would be great, it can also be a source of concern, depending on the situation. If you allow your personal values to overrule or abstain from performing a task, that can influence the rest of society. Sort of like a form of the Butterfly Effect. The results from such acts can change the laws that govern our society, be it formally or informally.


With regards to how my personal actions and choices reflect my values, I was a vegetarian when I was a teen. My reasons for such actions were shaped by my values of treating one another with respect, regardless of species. I also despised the fact that so many products were tested on animals. However, I did not go about it in a healthy manner and had developed anemia. I eventually went back to eating the Standard American Diet (SAD), which included meat and other animal products.


Fast forward a decade or so and I slowly found my roots again. I adopted a vegan diet overnight and do not see myself going back to eating animal products. I have been a vegan for a few years now. It is not always easy, as there are often few choices on menus that are both vegan and gluten free. I have learned how to cook a wide variety of dishes, many of which appease my non-vegan and non-gluten sensitive partner. I still avoid buying products that are tested on animals or contain animal by-products. I’d love to say that changing my diet led to me feeling better, as my chronic health conditions could not care less which diet I follow. Adopting the gluten-free and vegan lifestyle did, however, help to spark my 100+ pound weight loss (which I have maintained for a few years now).



I like to think that my personal values of compassion and empathy shape what I eat, what I buy, and what I use. Which of your personal values have you felt need to be sequestered in order to fit in with society? How do you think you would feel if your personal values were embraced by society? Would you be more likely to let your values shape your actions and choices if society shared your views?