Living Your Values Intentionally

By Janalee Morris, Executive Director of Humanist Canada

The other day, one of our dedicated members, Craig Barlow, reached out to share a deeply moving reflection with me. He had been reading an article titled How to Lead a More Intentional Life in 2026, which prompted him to look back on the final days of his late wife, Rhoda.

With his permission, I want to share a piece of what Craig wrote, because it strikes at the very heart of what it means to live a meaningful, humanist life:

“In the last month of my wife’s life, I and her son noticed that her personality shone bright. I think it was so because Rhoda to the very end was living intentionally her values and she was becoming a better person as she was dying. I think this is what she was advising me to do when she said ‘Live Fully.’ To live fully is to live your values intentionally so they become lived virtues that shine. One of my values is to convert Net Worth into Social Worth. I know when I do this I feel good, I shine within when I intentionally do the right thing.”

Rhoda’s final advice—to live fully—is a beautiful distillation of intentional living. As author Audrey Stanton wrote earlier this year, “Intentional living means understanding your fundamental beliefs and values and then actively living your life in line with those values” (2026).

But how do we do that in a world that rarely asks us to pause and reflect?

The Missing Forum for Values

Craig’s reflection got me thinking about a systemic challenge we face in modern society. One of the factors contributing to the fractures and problems our world is facing today is that, as we have moved away from religion as a society, we have lost a consistent public forum where values, morals, and ethics are discussed on a regular basis.

Regardless of whether you believe that religious organizations promote the “correct” values, they historically provided a physical and cultural space for the consideration of how to live your life in a way that aligns with your beliefs. Every week, congregants were asked to contemplate how to be better neighbours, better citizens, and better human beings.

In the absence of that traditional forum, many people are left adrift without a regular opportunity to call to mind what is truly important, and to actively align their actions with those values.

Creating the Secular Space to “Shine”

This is precisely why our work within the secular and humanist movement is so critical. Humanism is not merely the absence of belief in a deity; it is the presence of a commitment to human flourishing. But flourishing doesn’t happen on autopilot. It requires intention.

If we no longer look to ancient texts or religious authorities to dictate our morals, we must take up the responsibility of actively cultivating them ourselves. We need communities, conversations, and spaces where we can ask the big questions:

• What are my fundamental values?
• How do my daily actions reflect them?
• How am I converting my resources—whether that is wealth, time, or talent—into social worth?

When we intentionally do the right thing, we experience what Craig described as “shining within.” We bridge the gap between abstract values and lived virtues.

Living Fully, Together

Rhoda’s legacy is a powerful reminder that intentional living is a lifelong practice, right up until our very last moments. We don’t need a church to live ethically, but we do need to be deliberate about creating spaces in our modern lives to reflect, recalibrate, and support one another in doing good.

Let us commit to being that forum for each other. Let us keep talking about ethics, practicing compassion, and turning our values into action—so that we, too, can live fully and shine bright.