So what kind of questions might we ask ourselves to start figuring out what are these non-negotiables each one of us has?

This is not something that one sits down over a cup of tea or coffee and determines the final answer to this question as a, "by the way", statement or figures out the final solutions in seconds. Hardly. Of a truth, if you ask yourself the same question over various periods of your life, I dare say you will find that these non-negotiables might change, get refined, defined and solidified whether through various life circumstances or simply with the passage of time.

The more you ask, "What do I value?" or "What do I want out of life?" and "What will I do or not do to achieve these stated goals?" the more you define your non-negotiables a bit more distinctly. As you do this, you may find the road towards achieving your goals filled with obstacles that will challenge your non-negotiables to where you might hold firm to your original stance, let go, or sacrifice on those non-negotiables once ascribed to, in order to attain your objectives.

As such, the more we understand the compass of where, who we are resides, the more we can understand our non-negotiables.

For example, you might find that though in the past, you might've been convinced by others that since you have such a firm grasp on biology, chemistry, and the like, you found yourself in medicine and you're good at it. Yet, your heart is clearly not committed to that job, that career, that decision, ...As much as your heart LIGHTS up, when you're performing something diametrically opposite to that medical pursuit. Whether teaching art, championing the local gardens in your community or some other career field, there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these noble pursuits. However, if one causes your heart more joy than the others, you might want to ask yourself "why?" As you ask yourself, why, you might find that you are defining a non-negotiable for whatever season in your life you may currently be in.