Core Values are the infrastructure to who we are as humans—the brick and mortar of our characters and personality. Think of your core values as the framing on a house, the framing holds the house up and keeps it solid and together. We all have many values we hold highly but some are so important they guide and dictate the very steps we take every day. Core Values motivate our conscious and unconscious actions. Identifying your core values can help clarify your dreams, fears, goals , and what you value most in life. In order to strengthen resiliency in life one must know what his or her core values are.
Core values are not:
-Competencies
-Strategies
-Norms
-Operating Practices
Core values should be in practice every day. Core values connect you with the outer-world; help you pick and choose relationships to invest your time and emotions in. Core values help you manage your finances, relationships, and daily life. Think of core values as the tracks on a railway that keep your life in line with your beliefs. Core values require no justification, as they are ‘part of who you are’.
If you are curious as to what your core values are you can download the list of core values here. After you have the list, circle 12 values you hold most dear. Now cross out 3 of them, after you do that, cross out another 3. Are you mad at me yet? You need to cross out another 3. The resulting 3 core values you have remaining are probably your core values you hold most dear. Take a look closely at the remaining 3 values. Do they align with your family life, your interpersonal life with a partner, your professional life and conduct? Record your core values in your TN and write something about each one and how you have seen common threads in your life where your core values played out. Be proud of the effort you have taken to identify them and know that they are your 'silent partners' in life, guiding you as you move through each moment of your day.