Values are like spices – they are flavourings for life
A king with three beautiful daughters asks them how much they love their father. The eldest says, “I love you as bright as the sunshine.” The second daughter says, “I love you as wide as the ocean.” The youngest says, “Oh father, I love you as much as water and salt.”
Italian Popular Tales collected by Thomas Fredrick Crane
Imagine food without flavour!
It would be reasonable to suggest that every kitchen in the world contains an assortment of spices and flavourings to make the meal a little more enjoyable and memorable. From sweet to salty, from spicy to sour, and from bitter to umami, the flavouring of our foods bring enjoyment to every meal. And if the food on the table needs just one last little adjustment, the ever-present salt and pepper and other condiments sit at their readiness to bring the last little flavour kick our palate needs.
The popular tale quoted at the start of this article illustrates how salt – a basic necessity in life – forms the foundation for human thriving. We would take the analogy a step further, and suggest that values inform the entirety of human thriving as well. When we talk about values, sometimes the notion of the flavourings of food enters the conversation.
Three buckets of values bring meaning into life – they are like the flavourings that spice brings to our mealtimes.
The values methodology we use to refer to values are placed in three “buckets” or, to say it another way – three themes. They provide an important structure for thinking about values, and understanding why it is that we do what we do in life. Who we are, and where we want to be in the future.
Perhaps this is the most important reason why, here at the Values Hub, we don’t google our values. The random words found a google search provide no context with which to understand how values support us, nurture us, and motivate towards the future. Values are divided into three themes: foundation, focus, and vision values. The following table illustrate the three “buckets” or themes of values.
| Foundation Values | Focus Values | Vision Values |
| Start developing in childhood Provide stability and security Sometimes require nurturing | Provide daily direction Consume our daily energy Call us to stretch and grow | Draw us into the future Are achieved with a solid foundation Require intentional action |
Foundation Values – Foundation values provide stability and serve as the building blocks for thriving in life. Foundation values are essential because they are the building blocks of a healthy and productive life. Is the world a safe place? Will I have enough to eat and find meaning in my life? Can I trust the world around me, or should I be wary of people?
These are the important questions that are answered early in life by our interactions in our primary relationships and the experiences we had during those formative years. Review the following list of means values, and ask, “Am I experiencing uncertainty in my life because one or more of these values are calling for attention? Do I feel safe, appreciated, and do I have enough to meet my needs?”
Foundation Values – Values that stabilize and reassure
| Goals Values What we want to become | Means Values Skills needed to achieve our goals |
| Self-Interest/Control Self-Preservation Wonder/Awe/Fate Physical Delight Security | Food/Warmth/Shelter Function/Physical Affection/Physical Economics/Profit Property/Control Safety/Survival Wonder/Curiosity |
Focus Values – Focus values, on the other hand, are the values that occupy our conversations every day. By listening to the stories we tell, our interests and the work we do everyday, we gain a little insight into the kinds of values we would call “focus values.” These are the values that “get us going in the morning,” and will give us strength throughout the day. They reflect the principles that drive our daily actions, behaviours, and investment of time and resources.
As you review the following list, ask yourself, “What do I believe about myself and the things I do everyday? Do I pause for reflection and take time to relax and recharge after a hard-days work? Where does my family fit into my life, and do I have the quality of friendships in my life that are adding perspective and meaning?”
Focus Values – Values that provide direction and consume our daily energy
| Goals Values What we want to become | Means Values Skills needed to achieve our goals |
| Family/Belonging Fantasy/Play Self-Worth Belief/Philosophy Competence/Confidence Play/Recreation Work/Wealth | Being Liked Care/Nurture Courtesy/Hospitality Friendship/Belonging Quality/Evaluation Relaxation Social Affirmation Search/Meaning/Hope Self-Assertion Sharing/Listening/Trusting Tradition |
Vision Values – Lastly, vision values provide a pull towards the future – they represent what you aspire to become as person – in your relationships, at work, and in the service you perform for others. These values inspire innovation, growth, and progress by setting ambitious goals and pushing boundaries. In the following list there may be a few values and concepts that are unfamiliar, but you can review the entire list of values definitions our definitions page which will open in a new page – you may want to choose “interactive definitions,” and hover over the values for a brief high-level definition.
As you review the following list, consider asking yourself, “How am I seeking beauty in my life? Do I take time to pause and reflect on the direction of my life, the life of my family, and those whom I love? In what ways am I committed to taking risks, contributing to human dignity, and human rights? Am I building relationships in which I can achieve more than if it were just me working on something?
Vision Values – Values that draw us into the future we aspire to possess
| Goals Values What we want to become | Means Values Skills needed to achieve our goals |
| Art/Beauty Being Self Contemplation Faith/Risk/Vision Global Harmony Human Dignity Intimacy Knowledge/Insight Solitude Truth/Wisdom | Beneficial Technology Community Global Justice Human Rights Interdependence Macroeconomics Minessence Synergy Vision |
Conclusion – As you explore the Values Hub, and reflect on values, it’s important to keep in mind that when we engage the world and think about values, it’s always with the notion of three buckets, or three themes of values in mind.
Take a moment and download the Values Map, and note the three buckets of values described in this posting. If values are the flavourings of life, then the Values Map is the cookbook. If you would like to talk about starting your own journey of values discovery, consider reaching out using our contact form below.