so, what about my own self-image which was shattered in 2020?

for me, the rebuild began with writing down a list of very general things that make me happy or motivate me.

i was in a very lost place at the time, having little sense of who i was, but values are about what you feel, not who you think you are, so you can examine those even if you know nothing else.

here was the list i wrote:

- Understanding, confidence, valuation, belonging, respect, recognition, admiration

- Mastery, creativity, learning, discovery, innovation, problem solving

- Justice, truth, objectivity, predictability, regularity, clarity, safety

- Beauty, shape, colour, fantasy, mystique, nature, music, spirit, soul

- Peace, calm, quiet

- Freedom, mobility

- Romance

the list was written in June 2020, right around the time when i was having my breakdown. it still reads like a list of things i consider important even now, 3 years later.