#personal-development Someone asked me what my personal values were recently and I gave a severely embarrassing answer that made me realized I had to spend more time thinking about this. So I'm writing up a list of what personal values actually reflect me and what I want to live by, and publishing this on the internet because accountability. ## 1. Take care of myself. My attitude on personal health and mental is a bit of a lot. I've written some things on it but the biggest thing is that I should prioritize myself, my own happiness, and my state of living. Be a *little* selfish because you can't just keep putting yourself aside for others. You already know that you have so much love in yourself, so take care of yourself so you can love others. Some other things that might have a bit more perspective: - [[on jaw surgery 🦷]] - [[on losing my eyesight 👓]] ## 2. Take care of those I love, and tell them you love them. I [[thoughts on Elmer's glue|grew up fairly poor]] and I recognize now that I'm in a very fortunate position for myself. I make it a point to spoil those I love with experiences that they can't afford to experience otherwise, and spend as much as I can on them and dote on them because I also think they deserve things that I can deserve. ## 3. Be whimsically and authentically myself, and appreciate the honest. Being fake sucks lol. It's so much easier to experience life if you're candid and there's less regrets when you know you put in all of your effort into something instead of being disingenuous. We also do not owe anything to each other as humans or strangers, but we at least owe each other our kindness and our most authentic selves. ## 4. Always seek new experiences and remember you can do whatever you want. See the [big bel bucketlist](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1I1N6ZTj2QAXUFZdfggHfM-KwbfG9j5__h8sExjI5Zm8/edit?usp=sharing). There's so much I want to do and so much time still. I couldn't afford very many experiences before, but I'm in a position now that I can truly do whatever I want to do and I should not die with regrets. ## 5. Art makes your soul grow. > [!quote] > “Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.” > ― Kurt Vonnegut, [A Man Without a Country](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4979.A_Man_Without_a_Country) I love Vonnegut. ## 6. Fall in love with anything, everything, and everyone. You have soooo much love to give. * Fall in love with dreamy sunsets. * Fall in love with the taste of food at your favorite restaurant. * Fall in love with the art that others create because it was an idea they had and you resonate so much with it. * Fall in love with that song and put it on repeat because it reminds you of you and your life and this moment right now. * Fall in love with strangers, who choose to be kind to you and interact with you out of their own time. * Fall in love with your pets, who are only on this world for a short time and you are at the center of their full life. * Fall in love with your friends, who love and care for you back. * Fall in love with him, and know it's okay when he doesn't love you back, because you gave him your love and you already know your love is so great and big and kind. * Fall in love with yourself, because you know you deserve the most.