Summarize:

Reminding yourself of what you value in life and what you value about yourself can help you feel fulfilled rather than empty. Our values, or core beliefs about life, are usually based on our experiences throughout our lives, but we may not always take time to consciously examine them. In order to seek out your values, you will need to spend some time in reflection. Identify your values by writing your answers to the following questions: Identify the two people you most admire. Which of their qualities make you admire them and why? If your house was on fire, and you could only save 3 things, which would you choose and why? What topics or events get you fired up? What about these topics are important to you? Why? Identify a moment when you felt fulfilled and content. What about that moment made you feel fulfilled? Why? After you have finished answering these questions, try to figure out what qualities correspond with your values. In other words, read your answers and decide what qualities best match up with your values. For example, if you chose to bring a favorite book, a family heirloom, and gift from your best friend, you might say that this means you value intelligence, loyalty, and friendship. Therefore, a few of your qualities might be that you are intelligent, loyal, and a good friend. Once you have determined what you value most and what your qualities are, you can begin to determine what activities would make you feel fulfilled. Make a list of these activities and choose at least one of them to add into your life. For example, if you have "Community" as a value, you could volunteer for your neighborhood watch, serve as a tutor at your school, or work at a soup kitchen. If you have "Faith" as a value, you could look for ways to incorporate your faith into more areas of your life, such as going on a mission trip or visiting your church, temple, mosque, or other place of worship more regularly. By living a "value-congruent" life (meaning the choices you make and your life path align with your values), you are more likely to feel fulfilled and happy.
Identify your values. Determine which qualities match up with your values. Think about activities that would allow you to embrace your values.