How to Live and Love from Your Core Values

What exists at the heart of our core? Is it our feelings, thoughts and experiences? Is it our beliefs, values and principles? Or is it the very essence that makes us who we are?

What I’ve been discovering, is that underneath our complex layers of feelings, thoughts and experiences, is where we will find our deeply rooted values. I see these intrinsic values as being the foundation and structure that grounds who we are. This is different from our belief system. Beliefs are often what we have been told or things we have told ourselves. Beliefs may seem static but they can change over time as we change.

Our core values are always with us. They are anchored solidly, yet at the same time they are fluid in the way they move with us through our different life experiences and adventures. They are always there to draw on as a way of seeing and remembering life through our inner wisdom and truth.

At my core lives deep gratitude. When I view my life or any situation in my life through the lens of my core value, things go from cloudy to clear and I immediately feel relaxed.

There is a sense of personal power that comes when you’re clear on what your core values include. This awareness can become like a lifeline when things become challenging and you need a way to come back in alignment with what you know is true for you.

These are some of the ways that have helped me begin practicing core value awareness in an effort to live and love more from my core. Try them out to see if they may also be a right fit for you.

1. Awareness is Key

When you have a strong knowing of what your core values include, this awareness alone has a way of expanding perspective and opening your mind to new possibilities. Over time, this perspective can become more of a natural place to go as you experience the benefits of viewing life through a unique lens that is meaningful to you. It’s comforting to know that you already have everything you need inside of yourself, it is something you were born with. If you are already clear on what your important values are, then thank that part of yourself for being there to help you navigate life. If you are unsure, or haven’t a clue what I am referring to, hang tight, here are some characteristics that can help you narrow it down.

Your core value is:

a) Something you can experience as a state of being, e.g. gratitude, inner peace, compassion, love.
b) Something that you can access during any stage of life, it doesn’t change.
c) Something that isn’t dependent on anyone or anything.
d) When you put yourself in a position of feeling it, or remembering a time when you had that state, you begin to notice what that was like (hint: it will feel good, or it will bring up memories of feeling good).

2. Develop a Mantra Around Your Core Values

Pick something that is easy for you to remember and draw on when you need it most. It could be a passage, a famous quote or something you make up yourself. I have one around gratitude that goes like this: “Gratitude is my way in and my way out”. I also practice one that I learned from my dear friend Yasu-San: “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

The trick is to pick something that is meaningful to you and easy to remember when things get challenging or confusing. You can say it aloud or in your head, write it down or post it somewhere special. Use this mantra as a powerful daily practice to awaken that deep part of you that wants you to be happy and fully experience life in your own unique way.

3. Start Each Day With Your Mantra

Set the intention that your core value(s) will help you navigate your day. I like to do this during my morning exercise or meditation. I find combining my mantra practice with deep breathing helps the words and intention behind the words sink in. It’s also a great opportunity to do a little visualization around the outcome and feelings you want to experience more of during your day. This short practice is a powerful way to set the tone for the day and remind yourself that you are in the driver’s seat of how you choose to receive anything that happens during your day.

4. Self-Reflection

At the end of the day, or whenever it works best for you, ask yourself: what worked well for me today? I’ve been jotting down a few things from the day in my journal to see how my core values helped me during the day. This helps me acknowledge my resourcefulness, while building evidence that my values are always with me whenever I need them. The practice of self-reflection, in whichever way you enjoy, is a way of re-experiencing the value you received while seeing yourself and your life in a positive light. Self-reflection is an essential tool to use along the journey of self-empowerment.

5. The Gift of New Perspective

If you find yourself at a crossroads, or you want a different experience than the one you are having. Ask yourself: what would change if I were to view this experience through the perspective of my deepest core value? How might I feel? What might I say? Who would I be showing up as? Who else would be affected by shifting my perspective?

When we envision things happening with an outcome that’s rooted in our core values, it opens the door to new possibilities and ways of being that will support us to experience more of what we truly do want.

6. Give to Self and Others

Choosing to shift our perspective and view life through our deepest values, is a gift to ourselves that also has a positive impact on others around us. Through the lens of our core values, we begin to see our own humanity in the eyes and hearts of others. This small ripple effect of tolerance and love begins to grow as it spreads outward into the world.

The practice of living and loving from my core values, always helps life feel lighter. Things that seem impossible or heavy become easier to navigate when viewing through the eyes of gratitude. It’s easier to access humour, happiness and tolerance for self and others through a regular practice of core value awareness. The best part is that we all have our own inner guidance system as a resource. Our core values are like our inner compass. When we look to our inner compass for direction, it will always steer us on our truest path. That is so­­­mething I am deeply grateful for. What about you? What path will your core values lead you to?

❤ Emily

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