Taste Life Blog

Are you living your truth?
Or are you living someone else’s version of your life?

Your values exist whether you recognize them or not. When you become indifferent to them or stuff them inside of yourself, you lose track of your true self. You feel like you are searching for something…something…but you’re not sure what. You feel discontented, restless and unhappy.

On the other hand, when your thoughts, speech and actions match what you truly value, life feels really good. Knowing your values helps you make decisions and plans that are right for you. You feel whole, content and in charge of your life, because your life is aligned with your values!

Read how Cheryl Mussatto’s life is aligned with her values and why she is so darn productive, happy and content!

Using the Value Finder what did you identify as your top five values in order of importance?

Family, health, making a difference, esteem, success

How does knowing your values increase your happiness and help you make decisions?

Family:

Family will always be first but now that my children are all adults and on their own, it frees up more time for me to pursue my goals and dreams that I had put to the side when they were growing up.  I never consider spending time being a mom for my kids during their growing up years as settling.  Like Jackie Kennedy once said, “If you bungle raising your kids, nothing else much matters.”  I was there for them during those years — even when I worked part time — and as adults, I couldn’t be prouder of them.

Health

I place health in second place, because without good health, it’s harder to pursue dreams and your quality of life is diminished. I hate being sick (I love being and feeling healthy) and thankfully, because I take excellent care of myself, I’m living proof it pays off big time at my age.  I take no medication, I have no aches and pains, I have lots of energy, and I see myself working for many, many years — yes, I do like to work!  It gives meaning and purpose to life. No worries, though, my husband and I do take time to travel, do adventures, and enjoy life.

Making a difference, esteem and success

I love making a difference in others’ lives— isn’t that why we’re here to begin with?  Esteem and success have significant value to me in that I crave people seeing me as an expert and “go-to” person on nutrition.  I’ve found that with my 2 books and blog posting, etc., I have received many more accolades of praise than in the past. Success is something that I’d like and in my own view of my career, I believe I can finally say, “I’ve had a successful career.”  To define success means different things to different people.  For some, success means how much money you make or how many state or national offices have you held.  For others, it might mean guiding patients to a healthier body weight or lower A1C.  Success is in the eye of the beholder and I think each day we can work on many small “successes” that reverberate into a much wider circle of success that embraces not only success for ourselves but for others too.  Besides, I have finally learned not to compare myself so much to others. We’re all on our own path towards success; it’s just a matter of how we each define success for ourselves.

I’m actually at a very good point in my life right now.  I like who I have become and the “successes” I have gained in my career and family life. In the end, it’s not so much the number of things you’ve done but how much those things have improved other’s lives.

Cheryl it sounds like you have achieved a successful career because you have made career decisions based on your values. You felt “grounded” in that you knew your family and your health had to be priority before you worked on making a difference in other people’s lives! Congratulations on your happiness!!

How about you?  Do you feel you are living the life you were meant to live? Feeling like something is missing?! I invite you to take the Value Finder and discover what needs to be in place so you can feel productive, happy and content.