We have so many people come and go through our lives.  How do we choose which ones to share our lives with, and which ones we are better off without.  For me, shared values is a major factor.

What do I mean by shared values?  Ask yourself what is really important to you, on a base level.  What are your morals and values?  How important are they to you?

There are many people you will know who don’t share your values, but it doesn’t matter.  Maybe it doesn’t matter because it isn’t that important a relationship.  Maybe it doesn’t matter because the value in question is a minor one.  With each relationship, you need to evaluate how much it matters.

And even if you decide that it doesn’t matter, you should still keep in mind how their values differ from yours.  For instance, if you know that someone doesn’t share your value for honesty, it doesn’t mean you can’t be friends with them.  It does mean that you should never forget that at any moment they may not be honest with you.

Sometimes, you will realize that your values and the other person’s values do not align in a way that really matters to you.  When this happens, it’s time to end the relationship.  Most people will not understand if you do this.  Each person typically feels that what they do is okay, so if you end a relationship because their values don’t align with yours, they will generally feel that you are the one that is wrong.  And this is okay.  You don’t need anyone else’s approval when you’re making your decisions based on your values.