Appreciation recognises the full worth of someone, somewhere or something. It is a critical tool in developing our resilience and wellbeing.

Community is about people being together, with and for each other. As we start our journey out of the pandemic, it helps us navigate the precautions we still need to take and to deepen our understanding of responsibility.

Courage does not equal fearlessness. Courage allows us to move through our fears, to make difficult choices and take specific actions that we know will be difficult, challenging, and at times painful. The origins of the word “courage” stem from the word heart.

Determination is the ability to keep on trying to do something, even if it is difficult.

Empathy is the ability to understand how someone else is feeling or to understand the situation they are in. It is the ability to “put yourself in someone else’s shoes” and to understand the way a situation might make them feel. How amazing is this value!

When we can self-regulate using values, we can make better choices that enhance our own well-being and the well-being of those around us. 

Freedom embraces many universal human values.  As Nelson Mandela said, “…to be free Is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others”.

We can show friendship to those close to us or far away.

We can show friendship to people who we know and love – or to people who we are just getting to know.

Friendship connects with almost every other value.

The more we can all practise gratitude, the better we get at it and the greater the benefits. Look for the good in what you have and who you have around you. We can all be grateful for even the smallest things.

Is Happiness linked to what we have, or what we say, or what we do?

Harmony is a situation in which people are peaceful and agree with each other, or when things seem right or suitable together.

Honesty is where your actions match your words and thoughts. This vibe has ideas and exercises to develop an understanding of and greater awareness around honesty.

Hope Post-COVID

Values-based support for families as we enter a new year with the hope of an end to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Hope

As a family, it’s wonderful to explore the value of Hope. It is much more about just wishing that things can be different. It’s about believing that the world can be a better place – and being a part of making changes towards that brighter future!

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognise how good things really are.

Kindness is a wonderful ‘family value’. If we can’t be anything else…let’s be kind. It’s what we all need.

Why wait when we can have everything right now? Because just about any successful person has patience. Many good and important things take patience. For example, most great inventors and explorers have a lot of patience!

Peace can mean anything from world peace to a little bit of quiet in our busy day!

Having a positive attitude makes solving life’s problems much easier.  As a family, focusing on positivity can nurture everyone and help each other to feel better together.

Respect is about how you feel about and how you treat others. You can have respect for others, and you can have respect for yourself.

We can all take on different responsibilities to help each other within our families. It’s great to let everyone choose what they want to take responsibility for – and give lots of praise to each other for the outcomes.

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, to bounce back.

Self care must come first, before you can care for others.

Teamwork connects strongly to the value of friendship. There are other elements involved in being a good team-player. Do you have to be friends to work well in a team? Enjoy exploring this value.

When we build trust, we strengthen relationships and are able to have some of our own responsibilities eased.