NickVenturella.com 7-16-23 - Protect and defend your values

When you’re stuck in a rut how do you change your situation or at least change your perspective to better cope?

You have to do some soul-searching to understand what you want life to look like once you get out of your rut. With that in mind, then examine the things you can control, what you can influence, and what you need to let go of because you just can’t control it at all.

The hardest part of all this is understanding where you want to be when you’re out of the rut. Envisioning a future state that you want when you’re cycling through current tough times, or a lack of life direction, is not easy. 

My advice, is to try and do something that you know helps to clear your head like, going for a run, take a walk, listen to your favorite music, draw, read books from your favorite author, whatever it is for you…then take a moment and close your eyes to quietly pay attention to yourself and concentrate on your breathing. 

Once you’ve gotten yourself into a calm state, remember what you value in life. After you've contemplated quietly for a few moments, open your eyes and write down 5 to 7 personal values.Here are my personal values as an example (I have 8):

• Overarching value:  Time and space to balance my values across my daily life

Individual values:

• Family first

• Be kind, be human(e) -- lead with love

• Have integrity 

• Creativity is magic, and fun

• Present solutions, not problems

• Have a bias toward action

• Stay curious -- always be learning and improving

Then ask yourself the following questions and actually write down your answers so you can reflect on them later:

• How have I achieved maintaining those values in the past?  

• What’s different now about how I’m maintaining those values in my life? 

• Have my values changed from the past? 

• If so, how are they different now? 

• Am I feeling what I’m feeling now because my values have changed or because my circumstances have changed and are threatening my values?

Reviewing and reflecting on these answers is just the beginning of a transformational process. Identifying your current values gives you a directional heading. It provides you an unwavering core that you can compare your external life to — a set of operating beliefs you need in order to drive your life forward in the way you want. These are beliefs that you stay true to, defending them and protecting them when your external life is threatening these values. These values become a foundation to help you make adjustments in life without losing your soul.

--------------------------------------------------Updates----------upcoming Madison, WI-area live music performancesMore shows are in the works, stay tuned.TODAY!Lone Girl Brewing Company Waunakee, WISun. July 16, 20233 - 5pm---CANCELLEDUnfortunately, this show was to be part of a flower blooming event, but nature has not cooperated with lack of rain this seasonSchuster's FarmDeerfield, WIFri. July 28, 20236 - 8pm----------Dan Lezama and I (we make up the music duo group, Gemini's Rival) have been busy re-recording new versions of our back catalog of songs from the mid/late '90's & early 2000's.Last Friday the first of several songs to be released came out on all major streaming platforms.You can listen to our first of these songs, Night to Die, now.We'll be releasing at least one new version of our old songs once a month through the end of this year. 

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Stay positive. Stay healthy. Be kind.Sincerely,Nick VenturellaStrategic/Creative ProfessionalNickVenturella.com