Blog #55: Walk the Walk
- Jennifer Butz
- Mar 24
- 2 min read
I’ve been thinking about what it means to walk the walk—especially since we have so much talk swirling around these days. Parsing that out led me to thinking about values and virtues—what they mean and how they’re connected.
Think of values as the "why" and virtues as the "how." If you value justice, you might practice the virtue of fairness. If you value wisdom, you might cultivate the virtue of discernment. If you value love, you might express it through the virtue of generosity.
In short, values guide your priorities and virtues shape your character and how you act on your values. When values and virtues meet, magic happens, and that magic is called authenticity.
Walking the walk, being authentic enhances your mental health and overall life satisfaction. Think of authenticity as your inner compass—it doesn’t just point to happiness; it points to your happiness.
Ageist stereotypes can make us feel like we’re on the outside looking in, disconnected from the confident, capable selves we know we are (or at least, are pretty sure is in there). Cultural myths aren’t just insulting; they’re toxic. But when we step into our authenticity, rejecting the noise of societal “shoulds,” we take back our narrative, our congruence, our joy.
What are your top 5-10 values. Take a moment and plot out what practices and actions reflect those values. Journal a bit on which practices and actions are daily, which ones you do less regularly. Consider what prompts you to take such actions frequently or infrequently. Which would you like to amplify?
Where do you find a virtue out of alignment with a closely held value? Don’t beat yourself up if you find one (or two). Instead, consider ways that you could strengthen your practices and actions so that you honor that value more consistently. Alternatively, you can make sure that the value is truly your own and not one you thought you “should” have. If it’s the latter, consider redefining the value so it supports your authenticity.
It is tempting to focus on doing—a bucket list, projects, or goals. And, honestly, we’re much more accustomed to answering the question: What do you do? But the deeper magic comes from asking: How You Want to Be.
What kind of person has the values and virtues that are important to me?
How similar is that person to the kind of person I want to be?
What kind of energy do I want to bring to my life and relationships?
For elder women, this alignment of values and virtues that culminate in authenticity isn’t just empowering—it is rebellious. It dismantles ageist stereotypes, flips the script, and enables us live boldly in a world that sometimes underestimates us.
If you need some support, join us at WonderCrone.com or in the membership community at Mighty Networks called Where Wisdom Meets Wonder. We’re building community to support our aging in power!
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