For the next 21 days, I'm going to be posting my Inner Compass journey on my blog. Want to go through the Inner Compass Process with me to find more personal and professional fulfillment? Please read these short blog posts and journal your responses.
When you look back at your childhood stories, you begin to see what mattered most to you. What consistently mattered—across different experiences—becomes what you value.
Over the last few days, I’ve shared several childhood memories, including a happy one about hiking with my family and more painful ones about being bullied. While the emotions in those stories were very different, the same theme ran through both: connection.
For me, connection means this: I want to know you, and I want to spend time with you.
That value shows up clearly in my life today. Recently, I’ve been collaborating on several projects with Daniela Uslan, Alyce Blum Guerrero, Keith Bailey, and Renee Larson, and I’ve felt deeply grateful. Those experiences fulfill my core value of connection.
This is why looking at both your joyful and difficult childhood memories matters. When you step back, you can often see the same value present in both—either being honored or being threatened.
So I’ll leave you with this:
When you reflect on your happy and sad childhood stories, what common theme shows up? What felt most important to you then—and what do you value now?
If you want to identify the non-negotiable values in your work, CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK The Inner Compass Process: Using Childhood Memories to Guide Your Career Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173671760X/