My Values Helped Me When I Had to Make an Important Life Decision

by Amit
(New York City)

My personal core values helped me make a significant choice in my life about 10 years ago. At that time, I was at a fork in the road of life. I had received offers from a top business school in a foreign country and also from a masters program in the United States. Depending on what offer I chose, my life would take a different course.

To help me make my decision, I searched for the values that I had cherished.

One of my key values is life long learning.

I decided to first go to the business school and then decide which offer to take. I began attending classes and spending time talking to teachers at the business school. After two months I realized that I would learn a lot more by studying in the masters program in the United States.

Some people were surprised by my decision. They asked me why I decided to give up a top business school degree. I explained. After beginning to attend the business school, I discovered that the business school was mainly teaching things learned in the United States. Only minimal actual research was being done at the school. That told me my learning at the business school would primarily consist of memorizing US case studies. My learning would include no practical experience or relevancy to the foreign country.

Looking back at that decision, I realize that I made a good decision based on a value that is important to me. I choose the masters program because it would give me the opportunity for the most significant real learning.

I recommend that people make decisions based on their values since over the long run that is what will give them satisfaction.