“𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑝 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑦” ~ Avi Z Liran
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
Jane (a pseudonym for a real person), is a passionate environmentalist and planet activist working for a plastic manufacturer. Every day she clocks in, she’s hit with the gut-wrenching realization that her paycheck is tied to practices she despises. Cue the existential crisis. This clash between her personal values and professional duties isn’t just a minor inconvenience. It’s a surefire recipe for chronic unhappiness.
Tom (another pseudonym) values integrity above all else. As the head of claims at an insurance company, he was tasked with stalling claims during the pandemic by requesting extra documents, delaying payouts by several months. Each demand for more paperwork felt like a punch to his moral compass. Living out of sync with his values took an emotional and physical toll on Tom. It manifested in sleepless nights, anxiety, and a stress-induced skin reaction. It was as if his body was staging a protest. Tom felt utterly miserable.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
Jane decided enough was enough. She left the plastic manufacturer and is now working for a renewable energy company dedicated to sustainability. Her efforts directly contribute to a greener planet, and she feels a sense of purpose with every task. Her days are filled with satisfaction rather than conflict, and her happiness quotient skyrockets.
Working with some of the top experts in culture and values in the world since 2006, research confirms that the way we live our values has a direct impact on our wellbeing.
🎭 𝗕𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘆
Happiness is an elusive beast, often hiding in the nooks and crannies of our daily lives. One of the most reliable ways to lure it out into the open is by living our values in a world where what you do aligns perfectly with what you hold dear. Now, contrast that with a reality where your daily grind feels like an endless game of moral twister. One leads to dance life, the other to drag it.
🎭 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁
When you’re upset or hurt, it’s likely because someone or something is stomping on one of your core values. Besides a mismatch in purpose, the usual suspects that knock us off balance and send our brains into fight, flight, or freeze mode are breaches of respect and fairness. These two are the notorious outlaws of our emotional Wild West.
🎭 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁
Organizations that foster a culture of value alignment see higher engagement, lower turnover, and improved performance. When employees feel their values are respected, they become more loyal, motivated, and willing to go the extra mile.
