Do you know what’s important to you? Do your actions tell the same story?

There’s a proverb that reads — “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” Your heart is whatever you hold most dearly–your values, your principles, your beliefs. Your life–that’s what you do each day, how you spend your time, how your spend your money, how you eat, sleep, dress, speak to others. It all says something.

Because the two are so connected–life and heart–when they’re not in alignment, we feel it. And when they are in alignment…everything hums.

I don’t know about you, but I spend way too much time living out of alignment.

Recently, I’ve been writing down my goals in my morning journal. And when I see those ideals, and my actions during the day don’t support those goals, it makes me question my actions.

I give in because living in alignment with my beliefs is hard. It takes more time; it takes more involvement from me. It takes sacrifice, giving up my old, comfortable ways of doing things. It takes sitting with myself and not numbing out to empty distractions. It requires me to be vulnerable, and to assert my values when I’m with other people. Even if it means going against the group. Even if it means weakening a bond I previously shared (with someone or something.)

Though that breaking away, or weakening, may be painful, it’s part of the process of becoming free.

We fear loss more than we desire gain. And this holds us back. But beyond that discomfort is living in alignment with your values. It’s living coherently–mind, body and spirit. It’s showing up in the world as your real, true self. That’s worth striving after.

It’s worth breaking habits for. It’s worth walking alone in the wilderness, until you find your people, your new crowd. Or until your old crowd sees where you’re going and decides to follow you.

Be the leader of your own life. Stand up for your values and bolster them each day with your actions. You are stronger than you think, and this is just the beginning.