ESSENTIAL ELEMENT: Living in Alignment
Critical Concept: Genetic need for congruency
Coiled deep inside of our DNA are needs, wants and requirements of all kinds. These needs range from the obvious to the obscure, but all define the environment in which we thrive as human beings. One of the most abstract, but profound and most essential of elements is the need to live in alignment with our innate values.
The origin of these values can be credited to a God planting the seeds that drive an ingrained moral law, or chalked up to critical social qualities that developed over the millennia because they conferred a reproductive advantage. Regardless of orientation, most everyone agrees that we live by an internal compass that guides our behavior with feelings of good and bad, knowledge of right and wrong.
We flourish when we live in alignment with our innate value system. When our behaviors are congruent with our values, we feel satisfied, confident and at ease. When our actions are at odds with this internal guidance system, we sense disconnect, anxiety and restlessness.
People perform best when given clear standards. Standards provide clarity, accountability and the opportunity for feedback. With qualities as abstract as “innate values,” role models are the best standard. When we can identify a particular person who clearly embodies a given trait, we can better relate to that quality.
Dr. Guy Reikman describes a best practice for alignment being the creation of your own Virtual Board of Trustees. Your Virtual Board of Trustees (VBT) is populated by individuals who best represent or role model “successful traits” in each of your Life Value Accounts. This group can include people you know well, celebrities or even fictional characters – whomever you choose. Mentally access this VBT whenever faced with a question of appropriate behavior or response – for instance, “What would Yoda do here?”
