In the world of learning to be the most productive self, wanting to know I’m contributing the very best, can be tricky. According to the CVI, I am a profound Merchant. This means the values of Love and Truth resonate very deeply with me–especially the primary value of Love. Because of this, I tend to be a people-pleaser. It can be rather painful–I mean, difficult beyond belief–when I have to do or say something that others might perceive as unloving. I have spent my life living more in the Love value, and have been slightly separated from my Truth value. I don’t like to tell people what they don’t want to here. As a therapist, however, I have to work to keep my Love very well-informed by the Truth. For instance, when I have to make a mandated report to Child Protective Services (CPS), it never feels very loving. It feels more like a hard Truth without any Love at all.
But I am also an Innovator on the CVI. The Innovator values Wisdom and Compassion. Though it’s not natural for me to operate in my Innovator as much as it is my Merchant, if I intentionally move there to access Wisdom and Compassion, I can more easily see how these reports are full of Love AND Truth. Not that I have a choice–(CPS) reports are required by law. But my perspective is paramount to both myself and my clients.As you can see, I’m learning a lot about myself in the process of developing my Core Values. I may have a sinking feeling when I am forced to move outside of my own perception of Love, but I know that in order to be the profound presence of Love and Truth in the world, I have to do and say things that might not feel very loving.
What are you doing in your life that feels a little uncomfortable (or maybe really uncomfortable or even painful)? Ask yourself: is this difficult because it’s something I really shouldn’t be doing? Or do I just need to strengthen my underused Core Values muscles?
