Create a ladder of values and priorities in your life, reminding

"Create a ladder of values and priorities in your life, reminding yourself of what really matters to you." These words, spoken by Robert Greene, carry within them a call to order, clarity, and purpose. In the hustle of life, amidst the chaos of endless distractions, we often lose sight of what truly matters. To live with intention, we must construct a ladder, a hierarchy that helps us navigate the mountain of life, ensuring that our actions and decisions align with our deepest values. Greene’s call is not merely about organizing tasks but about creating a vision of life that stands firm on principles, a life that rises with purpose and direction.

The ancients, too, understood the importance of values and priorities. The philosophers of Greece, like Socrates and Aristotle, taught that to live a good life, one must first understand what is truly good. Socrates, in his pursuit of wisdom, often spoke of the need to examine life, to question the values that govern our actions. "The unexamined life is not worth living," he famously said, urging individuals to build a foundation upon which they could measure their choices. For Socrates, this foundation was built on the value of knowledge, virtue, and truth—a framework that allowed him to approach life with clarity, regardless of the challenges he faced.

Similarly, Aristotle spoke of the golden mean, the balance between excess and deficiency, where virtue is found. For Aristotle, our values determine the direction of our lives. He encouraged people to create a ladder of priorities, putting reason and virtue at the top, so that every action could be measured against these guiding principles. The strength of a person's character, Aristotle believed, was built upon this structure—a hierarchy of values that helped them navigate the complexities of life.

In our own lives, we can look to the story of Alexander the Great to see the importance of a well-ordered ladder of priorities. As a young conqueror, Alexander sought to unite the known world under his banner. Yet, his journey was not merely about the accumulation of power. At times, he was faced with choices that tested his core beliefs. The conquest of Persia, for instance, was not just a military campaign but a battle over the values of culture, freedom, and justice. Despite the allure of conquest, Alexander often looked inward, asking himself what truly mattered—not just in terms of empire, but for his own legacy. His success lay in his ability to align his personal values with his ambitions, creating a ladder of priorities that guided his decisions.

Yet, there are those who falter when they fail to build such a ladder. The story of Julius Caesar serves as a poignant reminder of what happens when one's values become distorted by unchecked ambition. Caesar, driven by the desire for absolute power, climbed the ladder of life by trampling on others’ rights, ultimately leading to his downfall. His lack of clarity regarding his true values led him to betray the very people he once served. Caesar’s life, although a testament to ambition and achievement, ultimately serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of losing sight of what truly matters.

Greene’s advice calls us to make conscious choices about how we ascend the ladder of life. We must build a structure that aligns with our highest ideals and principles. This is not an easy task. It requires self-reflection, discipline, and, above all, the courage to confront what matters most to us. Our ladder must be built from honesty, integrity, compassion, and wisdom—values that elevate our actions and help us navigate the storms of life. It is a call to rise above the fleeting distractions of materialism and superficial desires, and instead focus on purposeful living.

The lesson here is clear: if we are to live a life of meaning and fulfillment, we must be intentional about what we prioritize. Life will inevitably throw us off course, but if we know what truly matters, we can always find our way back to our path. By creating a ladder of values, we are not only organizing our daily actions, but we are shaping our future—a future built on the strong foundation of what we truly believe. So let us take the time to reflect on our values, to construct our ladder, and to live each day with the purpose, clarity, and strength that comes from knowing exactly what matters.