Although the strengths and values continue to be tested and debated, the following included in 50 Psychology Ideas You Really Need to Know may be used to give a guide for personal development.

1.  Wisdom and knowledge—creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, perspective.

2.  Courage—bravery, persistence, integrity, vitality

3.  Humanity—love, kindness, social intelligence

4.  Justice—citizenship, fairness, leadership

5. Temperance—forgiveness and mercy, humility and modesty, prudence, self-regulation

6. Transcendence—appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, spirituality

From Dr. John Schinnerer: The Four Best Predictors of More Positive Emotions, according to Ed Diener from the University of Illinois are:

• The feeling that you can count on others
• The perception that you have autonomy and are in control of your own life
• Whether you learned something new yesterday
• Whether you did what you do best yesterday

Values are an individual choice. But you can’t know your values until you write them down. Use the list of values included in Finding your Values from Sources of Insight. In this post, J.D. Meier recommends using the following to determine how real and true the values you choose for your list.

• Is it truly YOUR value?  (i.e. is it internally motivated or is it external … a “should”)
• Is it a means or an end?  If one value is simply to accomplish another, then look to the value you want to accomplish.  If you want economic security because you think it leads to freedom, then freedom is the one you value most.  This is important because there’s multiple ways to accomplish a goal and flexibility is key.  Know what you want, but be flexible in your approach.
• Do your actions show your values?  Actions speak louder than words.
• When were you happiest or most excited?  What was your proudest moment?  These highlights are a potential showcase of your values.
• What do you regret the most?  Again, this is a way to figure out what’s most important to you.

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