Chapter 5 of What Matters Most shifts focus to the second element of the tri-quation: governing values. These are described as the deepest, most central part of identity—the core beliefs and principles that determine what feels most important and highest in priority. Because they sit at the very center of being, governing values can be challenging to define precisely. Some manifest as character traits such as honesty, compassion, decisiveness, or generosity. Others appear as attitudes toward relationships (being a loving partner or caring friend), toward the world (appreciating nature or freedom of thought), or toward existence itself (faith in a higher power). Ultimately, governing values represent what a person believes matters most.
Everyone possesses a set of governing values, acquired over time through a wide range of influences. When behavior contradicts these values, inner pain emerges. Psychologists might label this cognitive dissonance—the mental tension created by holding conflicting ideas simultaneously. That discomfort serves a purpose: it signals misalignment. The only path to restoring peace is to bring actions back into harmony with governing values. When performance aligns with what is deeply valued, inner peace becomes not an accident but a predictable outcome.
Smith stresses that this peace is intentional. It results from conscious decisions and deliberate actions. Once governing values are identified and clarified, several powerful shifts occur:
– Awareness grows that governing values exist and actively drive behavior.
– Some values may be revealed as counterproductive, creating conflict rather than peace.
– Harmful or misaligned values can be modified, eliminated, or replaced.
– A renewed sense of personal power emerges—knowing one is the master of one’s own course and capable of changing behavior that once caused pain.
This process is not a one-time event. Governing values evolve. They must be revisited, challenged, refined, and internalized throughout life. Priorities among them can shift dramatically depending on life stage, circumstances, or new understanding.
The chapter also introduces four natural laws that govern the relationship between values and behavior:
1. Whether consciously recognized or not, inner values strongly influence outward actions.
2. Human nature inclines toward consistency—actions naturally seek to align with deeply held governing values.
3. By clearly identifying and clarifying governing values, their power can be harnessed to increase personal effectiveness and focus amid competing demands.
4. When behavior aligns with governing values, inner peace results.
Governing values originate from diverse sources. Some appear nearly universal, rooted in shared human experience or even genetic makeup—such as the innate ties of love and caring that transcend culture. Others emerge from the roles one fills. Many are shaped in childhood through family, siblings, and early relationships. Later influences include peers, mentors, heroes, and what Smith calls the “invisible committee”—the accumulated voices of people who have touched one’s life, offering examples, expectations, or quiet guidance. Finally, some governing values arise from the deepest inner recesses, without identifiable origin. These often prove among the most significant, reflecting what truly matters most.
Questions for Reflection
1. When you think about times you have felt inner pain or discomfort, can you connect those moments to a conflict between your actions and something you deeply value? What was the value involved?
2. Which of the four natural laws resonates most strongly with your own experience? Why do you think that one stands out?
3. Can you identify one or two governing values that feel almost universal to you (shared with most people) versus one or two that feel uniquely personal?
4. If you were to name just three governing values that currently feel most central to who you are, what would they be—and how clearly do your daily choices reflect them?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below. In the next entry, the discussion will continue with the second half of Chapter 5 (pages 91-105), where the practical process of identifying and writing governing values begins in earnest.
