Core values, beliefs and ideals...

Everyone agreed that their core values were integral to their personal identity, the below are the kind of things people felt were their core values:

Honesty
Diligence
Dedication
Being loving/caring
Having a sense of humour
Integrity
Empathy
Intelligence
Creativity
Stay positive
Use your imagination
Don't bitch
Always try and see the opposite side of the problem
Don't worry to much about a single situation
Treat people the way you want to be treated
Don't get jealous
Accommodate and be flexible
Love yourself
Be true to yourself
Be happy
Be open minded
Avoid passing judgement
Help those in need
Family
Help the world
Stand up for things you believe in
Stay in touch with people
Religious values, even though I am not a church-goer
Respect

Some people felt doing things to make others happy was very important, instead of looking after themselves and putting themselves first.  Others felt the only way you could feel liberated was by keeping your beliefs and ideals in every situation, this helps you feel grounded.   Two thirds of the group think about their values, their identity and beliefs a lot of the time, whereas the others felt it wasn't really something they spent much time on.  Some people said that when they meet bullies it causes them to question the above, they think and worry about their personal identity more in these situations. 

We then discussed their hopes, dreams and aspirations, and considered if they had done this kind of workshop at school whether it would have helped them.  Did they enjoy the workshop and find it useful? Some felt this wasn't really something that they needed to think about until they were at university, they felt that was when they would begin to plan their future.  This was very interesting as this was a message they seemed to be getting from their educators, and surely these elements need to be develop much earlier than university.  Then discussion moved to reflection and meditation, and whether these techniques could help facilitate self awareness.  Some young people thought this was a little too 'touchy feely' they felt there was no point encouraging things that might disguise the disappointment in the real world.