Hello & Welcome

Welcome! If you've come from Blogish, thanks for re-joining me; if you're new, I hope this space brings something valuable to you.

My name is Gail; I am a Registered Psychologist living in Alberta, Canada with my husband and dog.  I have created This Little Life to write about my experience of living intentionally in alignment with my identified values. Knowing and understanding your values is a topic I revisited numerous times on Blogish and in my own personal reflection. This focus stems from how I practice therapy; I believe that understanding what matters to you helps guide your everyday life and your short- and long-term goals. When you know your values, you can live in alignment with them, which tends to bring contentment and a sense of wholeness.

Understanding your values is a key tenant of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT.) I have followed the Quick Look at Your Values exercise developed by Russ Harris, one of the leaders in ACT, a number of times when reflecting on the life I am trying to pursue. I am a believer in the idea that your values can shift through different phases and stages of your life. With this exercise, it is critical to remember that you're trying to understand your top priority values at this point in time. That's not to say that the others don't hold weight in your life, but you cannot prioritize them all.

My plan with This Little Life is to continue writing about my life experiences while anchoring them to my top values. I'll also share reflections, ideas and tips on living a deliberate life based on your values. I hope this space inspires you to explore your own values and embrace a life lived with intention and authenticity.