The CORE Approach®

Your CORE Values
We all hear a lot about values as we grow up. In our early years, we may not really know what our parents, grandparents, religious leaders, teachers, and others in authority mean by "values." As we get into our teen years and early adulthood, it begins to become clear, especially if we are "lacking" in some way in values considered by general society to be "good."

What are your core values? What is it that you respect in yourself and others?

How do you decide what you stand for? What your core values are, and how they affect your life, your fulfillment, your abundance?

When thinking about The CORE Approach^® as it applies to your life, thoughts naturally turn to the four elements of the approach-Choice, Opportunity, Responsibility, and Expectation. As you think about how to approach these elements as they relate to your life, your core values come into play. And yes, there is a pun intended!

What does this mean? It means that the choices you make will be based on things in which you believe. It means that what you view as opportunities, and how you approach them, will be governed by aspects of your personality. Personality is largely made up of characteristics based on whatever you believe in and the values that are at the base of your being.

Your approach to responsibility - also based on values - how you were raised, what you were taught, your belief systems. What I mean by this are things like what your work ethic is like - are you a hard worker, always finishing what you start, or are you a slacker - doing just enough to get by and say something is finished? Whether or not you give of yourself in time, money, help, listening, volunteering, or any other way, depends on who you are at this stage of your life.

And expectation - well, that's all about how you see yourself.

So, what do I mean by core values? Core values are those "requirements" you have of yourself and those around you. They are the things by which you live and breathe, such as: honesty, excellence, helping others or service, dignity, integrity, equality, justice, humility, respect, wholeness, honor, humor, freedom - just to name a few. If you think about it, you can probably make a list of at least ten or fifteen values, concepts, ideals that are important to you. These are your core values.

The interesting thing about determining your core values is that it isn't until you put them into practice with a concept like The CORE Approach^® that you see whether or not you are "real" or "authentic" with yourself and others about these values.

Do you say one thing and do another? If you asked the five people closest to you what they think your core values are, would their list be the same as your list? Do you REALLY live by your values, or do you just say you do?

These are tough questions. Tough questions that become clearer and easier by learning more about The CORE Approach^® . Want to learn more? We're happy to oblige...