So, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my values and goals recently.The exercise is to determine your 5 top "core" values.
After a great deal of thought, here are mine. Try not to make too much fun of me, dear Cellarites. If you know yours, and are willing to share, that's fine, but I completely understand they might be personal, too.
Independence
(health, mobility/strength, financial security, personal security/safety, singledom, control)
Intellectuality
(intellectual curiosity & pursuit, creativity, learning, teaching, intelligence)
Joy
(family love, relationships/friends, nature, dance, spirituality, art/beauty)
Nonconformity
(different drummer, freedom, alternative living, whimsy, FTW)
Serenity
(peace & quiet, low stress/low activity, relaxation, zen)
I think I first ran into this reading "Smart Women Finish Rich" by David Bach, wherein he makes the point that you should spend your money in line with your values. And make goals in line with your values, and actually live your life pursuant to them, etc.
Of course, that's assuming you know what your values are. Your own values--not other people's. I think you really run into trouble if you try to live your live according to other people's values--your parents', your church's, or some other subset of "must/should/ought." That's what happens to people in midlife when they suddenly wake up and go, WTF? This isn't the way I want to live my life!
I also think the process is valuable, trying to identify what is important to you. And it's so very personal: My "freedom" doesn't necessarily mean the same thing as your "freedom."
Anyway: If you are interested,here are some links on the subject.
The art of manliness: Defining your core values
David Bach article