Susan B. Anthony once said, “Someone struggled for your right to vote. Use it.” I couldn’t agree more. Our right to vote is one of the greatest gifts in America, and I exercise that right with great pride for my country and my voice as a citizen within it.

After all, if it’s important to stand up for what you believe in life, there’s no better time to put our beliefs into practice than in the voting booth or the voting ballot. At the same time, election seasons can be tough. Voting is a big responsibility and sometimes it’s hard to make informed decisions through all the noise. If you’re feeling that way right now, my advice to you is to look within yourself where the very best guidance already exists: your own personal values.

Decision-making is best done when you follow your values. I have had the privilege of teaching a Design Your Life course hundreds of times before amazing audiences where I help attendees get clarity about their values. At the end of the course, everybody’s values are unique to the individual. There is no one-size-fits-all standard. But once defined, the roadmap for every person may be made clearer for the journey ahead with a strong Code of Values as a guide. I have shared that my number one personal value is my faith and that I strive to live in accordance with those beliefs. The greatest of those is to love God with all of my heart, soul, and might, and to love my neighbor as myself. I work to treat every human being with great respect and dignity, including every precious unborn child.

I recognize that we are living in very challenging and divisive times and that this election season comes with a lot of emotions for so many different reasons. It’s in times like this, when our values keep us on course, due north. As I think about the candidates running for office, I acknowledge that none of them are perfect, yet I can determine the ones who stand for my beliefs. And that is how I will vote in November. I invite you to do the same. Vote your values. Let your voice be heard. Our country is made greater by our collective participation in the process.