To many people the three (3) most valuable brand names on earth are Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.

It's interesting to note that of the three most valuable brand names on earth, none of them are good for us. It's interesting what we value the most. We cannot control what the world values, we can only control what we value. So, what do you value? Is it really valuable?

The road to a contented and comfortable life is to find what we value most and put our whole soul into it, every bit of energy, ambition and natural ability we have. What we value most in life are things that we believe are important in the way we live.

They are things that determine our priorities, and, deep down, they are probably the measures we use to tell whether our life is turning out the way we want it to be.

When the things that we do and the way we behave match our values, life is usually good, we are satisfied and contented. But when they don't align with our values, that's when things feel... wrong and they can be a real source of unhappiness.

That is why it is very important to make a conscious effort to identify our values. What do we value in life? What are the things that we treasure the most?

Through the years, I have learned that the following are essential to live a fulfilling life:

Time and life: As we grow older, time seems to pass by much quicker. It is, therefore, important to spend time wisely. We live a balanced life by allocating time to work, take breaks, create, sleep, do exercise and to be with loved ones.

The most important thing is to live fully today because it is the only time we have power to do what we want to do. It is also the best time to enjoy, not yesterday nor tomorrow. Today is the only time that we can express and communicate with someone close to us. Yesterday is dead and gone and tomorrow may never come.

Health and fitness: How well we live is measured by how healthy and fit we are. We work and enjoy more when we are full of energy and feel good about ourselves. Our health is truly the most valuable thing in life. Without it, there is no fun and no hope in life.

Hope and expectations: It implies that we expect good things to happen because we have set meaningful goals and we are working on it every day. Hope makes life worth living because we see a bright future ahead of us.

Peace of mind and contentment: There are many things that contribute to our peace of mind. One of them is debt-free living. When we are in debt we will face all sorts of harassment from people who want to recover the money we have owed. The other thing is about wanting less in life and be contented with what we have. Less desire means more peace of mind. Peace of mind is also about not thinking of the past or worrying about the future; living mindfully in the present and enjoy what we do. Peace of mind gives us inner freedom. Our mind is free from negative thoughts such as jealousy, resentment or hatred. Our heart is filled with forgiveness, love and respect.

Relationships and connection: To connect and to be connected, to love and to be loved, to respect and be respected, to care and to be cared are some of the wonderful things in life. In the journey of life, companionship gives us the courage, determination and motivation to carry on living and hope for the best.

Consequently contentment and happiness can be found in the things we value the most. When we get the most out of those things we value, we are contented and the happiest person in the world. By the way, what do you value in life? Think about it.

By Tim Pedrosa