How can you know if you're living with integrity, that you're doing what you intend to be doing? Often people come to spiritual direction to awaken their inner life, their spiritual life. But what good is that if it doesn't inform your outer life? Bringing inner and outer life balance is an integrated wholeness is a life's work. And the equation of the balance will change with your life's variations of contexts and blessings and challenges.
A couple weeks ago I posted processes for discerning your guiding values or "clarifying your compass", as an individual and as a family. I use Brené Brown's list of values for the exercises.
Choose a value that you want to emulate and strive for. Write it on a piece of paper and place it where you will see it every day. Throughout the day ask, "how am I living this value right now?"
You may even want to install a mindfulness bell on your computer and when the bell sounds stop and ask, "Am I doing what I intend to be doing? How am living this value right now?" And then adjust.
Values live may places in our life. This is just a beginning list of possibilities...
Family budget
Choices in food
Choices in clothing
Choices in most any purchase
Schedules, how you spend your time
What books you read, movies you watch, podcasts you listen to
Covenants and/or rules and norms of your household
Styles of communication
Household chore division
Child rearing norms
Care for other family members
Care for neighbors
Civic involvement
Where else do your values live? I'd love to hear from you!