Embracing Core Values – The Key to Living an Aligned Life

Hello there, Friends!

Thank you for joining me today – it’s wonderful to have you back!

Today, let’s dive into something that I’m super passionate about and mention often: core values and how they shape our journey towards a life that’s genuinely ours. Just like a business has principles that guide its actions – actions that can never be compromised, either for convenience or short-term gain – when we as individuals are able to identify our personal core values, they similarly serve as our compass.

In the course of growing up, we naturally looked to those around us to help guide our way in life. In the process, it’s common to adopt the values of others, but if we never slow down to check in and ask, “Are these values truly mine?”, it’s all too easy to wake up one day and wonder how we got to where we are.

If we’ve made decisions based on values that aren’t ours, we may find ourselves following a path (career or personal) that doesn’t feel like it fits. Whether we’ve pursued societal ideals of success or let safety overshadow our need for community and authenticity, living out of sync with our core values can leave us feeling unfulfilled. This isn’t about judging values, but rather noticing if the values we’re using to make our decisions actually feel aligned for us.

Any journey of aligning our decisions with our core values starts with identifying those core values. There isn’t one ‘right’ way to do this – you might find an online quiz like this one helpful, or maybe chatting with a coach or therapist is your thing. You can also try looking up a list of core values and narrowing down the ones that resonate most with you. Start by circling however many you want (most of us start with 10-15), and then continue to narrow it down until you have your top three to five. For me, growth, compassion, balance, connection, and curiosity are the core values that guide my decisions. These are the things that I won’t compromise on…they create the big picture that I keep in mind as I navigate this journey with all its twists and turns. Below, I’ve included a condensed list of values that you can use to start, but feel free to add your own or search for other lists if these ones don’t resonate.

Accountability Achievement Adaptability Adventure Ambition
Authenticity Balance Beauty Collaboration Community
Compassion Competence Connection Contribution Courage
Creativity Curiosity Dignity Diversity Environment
Equality Faith Family Forgiveness Freedom
Generosity Grace Gratitude Growth Harmony
Health Honesty Inclusion Justice Kindness
Leadership Legacy Leisure Love Loyalty
Nature Openness Order Patience Peace
Perseverance Personal fulfillment Power Pride Resourcefulness
Respect Responsibility Safety Spirituality Tradition
Trust Uniqueness Vulnerability Wealth Wisdom


Once we identify our core values, what’s next? We observe these values in action. As life inevitably offers us endless situations with choices to be made, we observe (without judgement) our decisions. Sometimes we might notice the core values we identified are not being reflected in our daily life.  If we’re not feeling content with our decisions, perhaps we need to look a little deeper. What can we learn about ourselves, our desires, what we’re willing to sacrifice, and what we’re not?

Another area we might want to observe is the people we spend time with. While we will all find ourselves in situations with people whose values don’t align with ours, when it comes to the people we spend the most time with, are we choosing people who reflect our values? That doesn’t mean we agree on everything – that’s not possible and would just create an echo chamber – but does their decision-making process reflect the values we hold so dear? For instance, one of my closest friends may have a different opinion on how to approach a situation, but I know that compassion, growth and balance are all part of their reasoning. As Ayn Rand says, “Love is our response to our highest values – and can be nothing else.” Everything we do and everyone we continuously invite into our lives is a reflection of the love we have for ourselves and the values we hold.

This journey towards self-alignment isn’t just fulfilling; it’s liberating. It allows us to become more intentional with our decisions, and more confident with those decisions. Uncertain times are guaranteed in life, but with our core values as our compass, those times become easier to navigate. They remind us of what’s important and allow us to persevere. They empower us and life becomes less about pleasing others and more about staying true to ourselves. And that, my friends, is where the magic happens.

So are you ready to dive into this journey of self-discovery with me? Let’s explore what makes us tick, what drives our passions and how we can live a life that’s beautifully, authentically ours.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Christina