How to Meditate for Relaxation and Stress Relief

Have you been feeling stressed out lately? Well, take some comfort in knowing that you’re not alone. Stress, in particular, workplace stress has become such a widespread problem that the World Health Organization calls it the “health epidemic of the 21st century.” These days, many people are overwhelmed by their busy lives. They are feeling the pressure from work, family life, and other activities. All this activity is leaving them stressed and anxious. They know they need to relax, but they don’t know how. They are beginning to realize some of the health consequences of chronic stress, such as poor physical health, emotional disorders, and strained relationships. The good news is that dealing with stress is a lot simpler than you might think. One of the simplest and most effective methods for stress relief is relaxation meditation. In this article, I will discuss some of the health consequences of stress, what exactly relaxation meditation is, and how to practice it. I will finish with a few sample relaxation meditations I found on YouTube, so you can get started immediately without any fuss.

Consequences of Chronic Stress

A great deal of research has been done on the effects of chronic stress. Here is a sample of some of the short-term and long-term effects.

Short-Term Effects of Stress

On your body, stress can cause headaches, muscle tension, chest pain, tiredness, lower sex drive, digestive problems, and difficulty sleeping. On your mood, stress can cause restlessness and anxiety, depression, irritability, lack of motivation, inability to focus, and the general feeling of being overwhelmed. On your behavior, stress can cause you to eat more (or less), anger outbursts, withdraw socially, and use substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.((Mayoclinic: Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior))

Long-Term Effects of Stress

In the longer term, stress can have several consequences. It can diminish your mental abilities, such as concentration and memory. This can lead to poor judgment and decision-making. Stress can also affect your physical appearance. It can cause wrinkles, puffy eyes, adult acne, and hair loss. Stress can also cause your skin to appear dull and dry. Heart problems are a common effect of chronic stress. It causes inflammation of the arteries around the heart, which makes the heart work much harder. Several of the short-term effects of stress, such as sleep and digestive problems, will also persist over the long term. In addition, stress can weaken your immune system and leave you more vulnerable to illness, and make healing more difficult. All these effects of stress will essentially shorten your life span.((PsychCentral: Long-Term Effects Of Chronic Stress on Body and Mind))

What Is Relaxation Meditation?

Relaxation meditation is a term to describe several types of meditation. Their purpose is to help you relax your body and mind in order to relieve stress and anxiety. To do relaxation meditation, you can listen to some slow relaxing music, or the sounds of nature, such as ocean waves. You can also do a self-guided body scan. Here, you essentially sit quietly and move your attention to each body part and consciously relax your muscles in the process. There are also various forms moving meditation. I’ll describe all of them soon.

Benefits of Relaxation Meditation

Relaxation meditation, if done regularly, is one of the most effective methods for stress relief. In fact, it is so effective that sometimes just one session can completely relax a person who is all stressed out. I’ve had people come into a corporate meditation session overwhelmed with stress, and after the session come up to me amazed that they are completely relaxed. Stress relief through relaxation meditation is an effective way to avoid the health consequences of chronic stress described above. It will improve your mental abilities, such as concentration, memory, analytical thinking, and creativity. And as your mind relaxes, you will begin sleeping much better at night. Furthermore, relaxation meditation will improve your mood, which will lead to better interactions with others, especially loved ones.

How to Practice Relaxation Meditation

1. Guided Imagery

Probably the most popular form of relaxation meditation for stress relief is the guided imagery. This form of relaxation meditation consists of relaxing music, and/or sounds of nature, and a person’s voice to guide you on an imaginary journey. It usually starts with a little mindful breathing, followed by a body scan to physically relax your body. Then the meditation focuses on relaxing your mind by taking you to an imaginary place that is safe, comfortable, and happy. It’s like going on a short vacation from all the things that are causing you stress. The meditation generally uses a countdown to get you to this place, and includes a set of affirmations to help you relax. The countdown is almost hypnotic, and helps you assimilate the relaxing affirmations more effectively. Once you reach the imaginary safe space, you normally stay there for a short period in order to let your body and mind relax further. After a while, the voice will slowly guide you back to where you started by counting up with more positive affirmations. The reason the guided imagery form of relaxation meditation is so popular is because it is quite effective, and you don’t have to do anything except listen to the meditation and follow the guide.

2. Moving Meditation

Moving meditation describes a variety of different movements that are used for stress relief by calming the body and mind, and developing awareness. Some examples are yoga, tai chi, qigong, and walking meditation.((Yogapedia: Moving Meditation)) The great thing about moving meditation is that not only will it help you relax, but it will also help you stay physically active. I recommend doing some form of moving meditation when you are too restless to sit still. You can either do a combination of both moving and sitting meditation, or an entire session of moving meditation. Both methods will help you relax. I will sometimes start my meditation session with about five minutes of tai chi, then five minutes of walking meditation, and the remainder of the session in sitting meditation. This is a great way to work your way back into your meditation routine if you haven’t meditated for a few days.

3. Self-Guided Relaxation Meditation

Some people are more inclined to do their own relaxation meditation. What they generally do is start out with a body scan, where they consciously relax the muscles in each body part. After completing the body scan, they may then sit quietly for a few minutes following their breathing. They often play some relaxing music in the background.

6 Sample Relaxation Meditations

Here are a few of the best relaxation meditations I’ve found on YouTube. Some of them are so relaxing that they will put you to sleep.

Body Scan Meditations

1. Body Scan Guided Sleep Meditation (Lauren Ostrowski Fenton) (1 hr.)

This is a nice relaxation meditation that starts out with a body scan, and then leaves you with the soothing music to lull you into a deep relaxation. You can either listen to the entire hour-long meditation, or just part of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwWua_fAa2I

2. Guided Body Scan Meditation for Mind & Body Healing (Michael Sealey) (30 min.)

This is another relaxation meditation with a body scan. Michael Sealey has a deep soothing voice that makes it easy to relax. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7xGF8F28zo  

Guided Imagery

3. Guided Imagery for Relaxation (Mark Connelly) (10 min.)

Here is a short guided meditation that takes you on a journey through a tropical forest. The guide is a female with a soft and soothing voice, and the sounds of nature make you feel like you’re really in the forest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi2UCByfiXQ  

4. Guided Meditation For Anxiety & Stress (Jason Stephenson) (30 min.)

Jason Stephenson has some of the best quality meditations on YouTube. His voice is soothing, and he has the right choice of background music. This meditation takes you on a journey through the night sky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vO1wPAmiMQ  

Relaxation Meditations for Sleep

5. Guided Meditation for Sleep... Floating Among the Stars (Jason Stephenson) (1 hr. 2 min.)

Here is another quality recording by Jason Stephenson. This meditation guides you into a deep relaxation as you float among the stars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4qCFFBrrgk  

6. Guided Meditation - Blissful Deep Relaxation (The Honest Guys) (18.5 min.)

In this meditation, the music is soft and slow-moving, with gentle waves in the background. This is a relatively short meditation you can comfortably listen to right before you go to bed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyy0ra2WcQQ   In addition to the above free guided-meditation, I'm also producing my own CD Inner Silence: Guided Relaxation Meditations for Inner Peace and Restful Sleep. If you're interested, check it out here.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve read this article, it’s probably because you’re feeling a little (or a lot) overwhelmed, and in need of some stress relief. Maybe you have a high-stress job, or a lot of family commitments. Whatever the reason, you’re probably looking for a simple method for finding stress relief. The health consequences of stress are many. It affects your body and mind. It also affects your mood, which has a significant impact on your relationships. And over the long term, some of the damage to your body may be irreversible. Put simply, stress keeps you from truly enjoying your life. Relaxation meditation is a simple and effective method for stress relief. As you can see, there are a variety of different forms of relaxation meditation. You can either listen to a guided meditation or some relaxing music, or you can learn to practice one of the various forms of moving meditation, such as yoga and tai chi. So, don’t postpone your happiness. Try one of the meditations above, or find one you like, and start enjoying your life stress free.

More Tips on Meditation

• The 5-minute Guide to Meditation: Anywhere, Anytime
• How Do You Meditate? 8 Meditation Techniques for Complete Beginners
• The Guided Morning Meditation for Beginners (That Will Change Your Day)

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On the menu: Study says dining out is a recipe for unhealthy eating for most Americans

Study finds most restaurant meals eaten by Americans are of poor nutritional quality; minimal changes over 14 years.

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AI-analyzed blood test can predict the progression of neurodegenerative disease

A new study shows artificial intelligence (AI) analysis of blood samples can predict and explain disease progression, which could one day help doctors choose more appropriate and effective treatments for patients.

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The first roadmap for ovarian aging

Infertility likely stems from age-related decline of the ovaries, but the molecular mechanisms that lead to this decline have been unclear. Now, scientists have discovered, in unprecedented detail, how ovaries age in non-human primates. The findings reveal several genes that could be used as biomarkers and point to therapeutic targets for diagnosing and treating female infertility and age-associated ovarian diseases, such as ovarian cancer, in humans.

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In Twist of Fate, Hotline Volunteer Learns She Has Been Working With Man Who Saved Her 7 Years Ago

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The post In Twist of Fate, Hotline Volunteer Learns She Has Been Working With Man Who Saved Her 7 Years Ago appeared first on Good News Network.

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9 Exceptional Work Habits To Be More Efficient

A work habit is any attitudinal, ethical, behavioral, or practical tendencies you apply in achieving peak performance in your business or workplace. Good work habits establish a solid foundation for peak performance, efficiency, trust, effective communication, regular attendance, compliance, time management, punctuality, and collaboration. Have you ever extended your job functions and duties to assist your colleagues in a bid to achieve team efficiency and productivity? If yes, you possess good work habits. But that's not all. Successful people understand they need to display exceptional work habits to stand out. Here are 7 of such habits with two bonus-tips on setting priorities:

1. Prioritize Your MIT

Your MIT here means your 'Most Important Tasks'. It’s not enough to have a to-do list; you need to establish your Most Important Tasks. The concept behind prioritizing your MIT is predicated on the fact that some activities are more crucial than others. Therefore, checking off the items on your to-do list might not be enough, as you may end up completing both important and less important tasks. So what's your best approach? Spend some minutes in picking 1 to 3 MITs- the tasks you need to complete before the day ends no matter what. You can then channel your energy on what matters with a renewed focus, as you know they must be completed. Here's what Laura Earnest, a productivity blogger, said about the significance of establishing your MITs as a work habit:((LauraEarnest: Limiting Tasks To Get More Done))

"Productive people focus on the most important activities. They also ensure the means of getting those tasks done are the most effective. I believe they possess the capabilities of discerning the most important tasks and are apt in delegating the less important."

2. Limit Social Media Use

With emails, notifications from social media platforms, and several minor to-dos, you can easily get distracted while trying to engage in productive work. Our Editor-in-chief of Lifehack.org, Anna Chui, talked about the work habits that help her get ahead in life and business. Here's what she said about limiting social media use:

"I limit my social media and IM usage so I can stay focused on what's important to me. I turn off all WhatsApp group notifications and check them only before work, during lunchtime, and after work. I also turn off all social media notifications, so I don't get distracted in the middle of my work. I go on social media only after work and limit time to less than 30 min per day."

Limiting social media usage is a good work habit that can impact how you manage your time and what you make out of it.

3. Be Open to Feedback

The feedback system is a tool to optimize your efficiency in the workplace. When you receive positive or negative feedback from your superordinate, don't take it personally. The goal of feedback is to make you more productive. Here's what Elijah Falode, a Top-rated content writer on Upwork, said on how he manages feedback from clients:

"I understand the significance of both public and private feedback on my reputation and work. To deliver a quality job, I spend more time to understand my client's requirement, and then I ask questions. Once the client request for revision, I quickly work on it and ensure the client's requirement has been met, and he or she is satisfied. Each feedback helps me to improve on the job."

4. Exercise Daily

You may ask me what exercise has got to do with work habits. The truth is they are correlated. Your physical disposition affects personal productivity. This is why exercise will rank high on the list of exceptional work habits. Several studies have pointed out that physical exercise is one of the essential work habits you need if you want to be healthier and live a happier life. Exercise will help you achieve quality sleep, optimized memory, mental alertness, and better concentration. You can't accomplish this with a sedentary lifestyle. It will even impact your financial life. According to the Journal of Labor Research, those who exercise daily were discovered to earn about nine percent on the average than those who live a sedentary life.((ResearchGate: The Effect of Exercise on Earnings: Evidence from the NLSY))

5. Make Healthy Choices

If you continuously make some unhealthy choices, the truth is it will not only impact your mind and body negatively, but it will also affect your professional success. Therefore, making healthy choices is a crucial work habit. Here is how to make informed choices:

• Write down those daily activities that add value to your health to assess your lifestyles.
• List those habits that you think are hazardous to your health.
• Select one of the healthy habits and devise a plan to increase it. For instance, if you read for 30 minutes daily, increase it to 60 minutes daily.
• Pick one of the unhealthy choices and plan how to decrease it. For instance, if you are always tempted to taking soda by 4 pm every day to boost your energy, switch to taking herbal tea or water.
• Select one of the bad work habits and substitute them with good work habits. For instance, if you browse social media immediately, you wake up in the morning, replace that habit with a yoga exercise or early morning meditation.
• Evaluate your achievement every weekend. If you are not making progress, find out what's the issue and adjust, so you don't repeat the same mistake.

6. Engage in Reflective Practice

Reflection is a habit of reflecting on your ideas, thoughts, and actions in a bid to engage in a life-long learning process. It is also paying rapt attention to the values that inform your daily habits. Reflective practice helps you in cultivating vital skills and evaluating your effectiveness instead of going with the flow. It enables you to find out the motives behind your actions and curate a better approach in doing them subsequently. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston. She spends most of her time studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and authenticity. She recommended you:

"Talk to yourself like someone you respect, with tough love and honesty.”

Meanwhile, most people are limited by the outcomes of that endeavor. Radical honesty demands standing in your resolution. This act of honesty will also enable you to make the right decisions, communicate better, and learn.((Psychologies.co.uk: Brené Brown on self-reflection)) Create a work habit by dedicating some time to ask the following questions:

• Am I organized? Do I recall things?
• Am I focused or get easily distracted? Do I need to reinforce a work habit/
• Which of my skills stands out?
• What are the challenges facing?
• What distractions or tasks may impact my profession or career?
• What impact am I making?
• What makes me happy?
• How do I want to improve every aspect of my life?

Reflective practice is a work habit that can help you achieve happiness in your personal and professional life.((Medium: What You Need To Know About Reflective Practice))

7. Find Time To Recharge

Your energy carries the same level of importance as your time. It does not make sense having enough time with no energy to remain productive. Yes! It's good to prioritize and also apply some productivity tactics. But you also need to learn how to take care of yourself. Highly effective leaders find time to recharge. This means they get sufficient sleep each night. They also exercise and eat healthily. If you are finding it difficult to concentrate on the job, evaluate your work habits. Jeff Bezos said of getting good sleep:

"I prioritize it. I think better and have more energy."

Bezos advocates for eight hours of good sleep. He said,((Business Insider: Jeff Bezos explains why he thinks getting 8 hours of sleep is key to making important decisions in the workplace))

"If you shortchange good sleep, you may win some additional productive hours, but that productivity will remain an illusion. Quality matters than quantity when it comes to decisions and interactions."

8. Employ the Eisenhower Matrix to Track Long-Term Priorities

Sometimes, while trying to be productive, you focus on the short term. However, Peter Drucker, the renowned management legend, affirmed that:

"There is nothing as useless as efficiently performing activities that deserve no attention at all."

The Eisenhower Matrix, utilized by Dwilight Eisenhower in making informed decisions while he was a general, was popularized in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People written by Stephen Covey. This matrix assists you in determining the tasks you should work on and those you should ignore. Do you want to create your Eisenhower Matrix now? Here's how to go about it:((Eisenhower Matrix: How to Prioritise and Master Productivity)) Are you working on urgent tasks that are not important? Devise the means of delegating, automating, or eliminating those tasks. Are you engaged in activities that are not important and urgent? Then ignore those tasks! The Eisenhower Matrix simplifies the establishment of priorities.

9. Utilize the 80/20 rule

You need to focus on the most significant tasks. The 80/20 principle is an excellent approach to prioritize your tasks. Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, discovered the principle. It is popularly known as the Pareto principle. According to this principle,

"80% of your results emanate from 20% of your efforts."

To develop a good work habit, you need to discover the most rewarding 20% of your activities. Then, devise the means of reducing the 80% of your schedule. This will create more time for you to focus on the most impactful activities.

Final Thoughts

Highly exceptional people may seem like robots. Sometimes, they have only learned how to prioritize their tasks, surmount challenges, and overcome procrastination. Good work habits are crucial to achieving optimal performance in every aspect of your life. A client gives you a 5-star for quality performance, but he or she does not rate others the same way. Managers and business colleagues will love to collaborate with you when you possess exceptional work habits. Productive work habits will make you stand out in your business and workplace. Clients will value you for your efficiency and hard work Exceptional people are not brilliant than the rest of the world -- they have only developed work habits that make them stand out from the rest of the world.

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Teen Praised for His Honesty After He Offered Heartfelt Apology to Woman Following Icy Road Accident

A 16-year-old boy is being praised for his honesty after he owned up to hitting a woman's mailbox with his truck amidst snowy weather last week.

The post Teen Praised for His Honesty After He Offered Heartfelt Apology to Woman Following Icy Road Accident appeared first on Good News Network.

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13 Management Skills Every Great Manager Has

Have you reached a point in your career where you’re ready to take on more responsibility and become a leader? Or perhaps you’d simply like to earn more? Becoming a manager is an excellent way to do this. They are, after all, crucial to the success of any company, but it’s not necessarily an easy position to fill. Great managers build happy and productive teams that consistently achieve their organizational goals. And to become a high-performing manager, you need a diverse set of management skills. These are vital to building an all-star team that trusts you to lead effectively, manage, communicate clearly, and motivate them to achieve their goals. But what are these key managerial skills, and do you need all of them to be successful at your job? While I don’t consider myself a manager, I’ve worked with many great managers in my entrepreneurial career. Looking back on my experiences with these professionals, I’ve put together a list of thirteen management skills that every great manager needs to succeed. Let’s dive in.

1. Communication

It may seem like a no-brainer, but the ability to communicate is an essential managerial skill. You are the bridge between your team, upper management, suppliers, clients, even the public, and you need to be confident when interacting with each group. A great manager can clearly and concisely communicate organization goals, client briefs, project deliverables, and much more both verbally and in writing. Not only do you have the gift of gab, but you are also an excellent listener. Cliff Ettridge, Director of The Team, says,

”As a manager, you understand the importance of creating conditions where people feel safe.”

Whether that is to share ideas, raise concerns, address conflict, or discuss alternative ways of doing things, how you communicate with your team massively influences their willingness to be open and honest with you. If you want to improve your communication skills, check out this article: How to Improve Communication Skills for Workplace Success

2. Decision-Making

Each day, you will be required to make decisions. Remember, you've been given this position because your boss trusts you to keep the organization's goals and mission top of mind. The decisions you make will include prioritizing your workload, hiring new staff, assigning tasks, addressing customer or employee complaints... While some will be easy, there will be others that you'll agonize over, and you won't always make the right decision. Robbie Thompson, PR and Content Manager at Finnmark Sauna, says,

"A manager should have the ability to tackle frequent problems that arise and be accountable for their actions."

You will make mistakes. They happen, no matter how carefully you approach a problem or project. Having the conviction to stand by your decisions, even when they fail, is the sign of a great manager.

3. Delegation

A great manager recognizes that business is a team sport. And if they want their team to achieve or exceed their goals, they need to delegate. Delegation shows that you trust your people to handle a job. Matt Deighton, Managing Director of Timeless Chesterfields, has found that:

“It (Delegation) encourages and empowers your team to develop solutions to challenges.”

You are not superhuman and you cannot do it all. Delegating tasks allows you to focus on other work, which might be more pressing. It also aids in the development of your team, which is beneficial to the company as a whole. This guide can help you delegate more effectively: How to Delegate Tasks Effectively (Step-By-Step Guide)

4. Adaptability

The best managers recognize that they don’t know it all and are willing to listen and adapt to new and better ways of doing things. This is a crucial leadership skill. With the digital world constantly changing, managers need to be open to trying new technologies. What worked in 2018 doesn’t necessarily work now. And if you don’t change with the times, your team and your company will suffer.

5. Motivational

Your energy and attitude towards your work, as well as your passion, influences and motivates the people you manage. If you come to work upbeat and ready to tackle the day, your team is more likely to follow your example. When they’re having trouble with a job or at home, it’s up to you to refocus their attention. A great manager will know how to do that and get the best out of their people. They understand the importance of encouraging and incentivizing their people, as well as acknowledging their achievements. They are an asset to any business.

6. Organization

Without a doubt, being organized is an essential managerial skill. You have to be, especially when you have a group of people reporting to you. Not only are managers in charge of people, but they’re also in charge of budgets, project timelines, client expectations, and much more. An organized manager will know what is achievable in a particular timeframe and what isn’t. They know what to prioritize on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. They know who can be trusted to take a project and run with it and who needs more guidance. They also have to be on top of their workload. Remember, you’re juggling many balls, and you’ll drop one if you’re disorganized.

7. Problem-Solving

As a business owner, I hire great managers because I don't have the time or the inclination to deal with every little problem that crops up. It's your responsibility to anticipate potential issues and resolve them before they become a problem. Great managers know when a matter can be handled internally and when to involve the boss. You're able to work closely with your team to assess and develop a solution that adequately addresses the problem without causing unnecessary stress. Here're 6 Effective Ways to Enhance Your Problem Solving Skills.

8. Relationship-Building

Another vital managerial skill is the ability to build good relationships with people. Whether we’re talking about your team or your clients, great relationships are essential to the success of a company. Bridie Gallagher, Director of Glass Digital, reminds us that:

“People work best in a happy and supportive environment, so a good manager should be friendly, personable, and able to stay calm when things get tough.”

Mike Hardman, Marketing Manager at Alliance Online, adds that:

“(A great Manager) appreciates that each person is different and aims to build a rapport with each team member. This makes them feel like their manager sees them as an individual, opposed to simply a name on a rota.”

A great manager will make decisions that are in the best interest of their team. They create an environment where people are not afraid to ask questions. They know that you’re always available to listen and give careful consideration to your responses, which builds trust and makes working with you a pleasure.

9. Leadership

All good managers should be great leaders. It’s up to you to bring together and inspire a group of diverse people to work towards achieving a shared vision, and only an effective leader can do that. Your role could include leading meetings, setting goals, supporting staff, assigning tasks, whatever. As long as you lead by example, you’ll set the tone for a happy and productive work environment. This article on leadership and management is worth reading: Leadership vs Management: Is One Better Than the Other?

10. Time Management

Often, we think of time management as maximizing the day so that you or your team is always busy. But time costs money. On paper, a job might seem like a quick turnaround when, in reality, it’s far more complex. A great manager will take into consideration how much time is needed to give thought to brainstorming, problem-solving, execution, and delivery before agreeing to a timeline. This allows them to recognize when unreasonable expectations are being set by owners or clients and address this upfront. If you're looking for ways to improve your time management skills, these tips can help: 12 Effective Time Management Skills for Managers

11. Mentoring

In my opinion, mentoring is probably one of the greatest skills that a manager can have. Every team member can be better and do better. A great manager recognizes untapped potential and helps their people to unlock it. They know how to build their people’s confidence—when to challenge, when to upskill, and when to step back and allow people to take charge. Be open and willing to share your experiences and knowledge. And remember that their achievements are a reflection of the time and energy you have invested in them.

12. Planning

Building an efficient team requires an expert planner, someone who is a strategic thinker. You can plan for every stage of a project and anticipate potential obstacles or delays that may result well in advance. You’ll also know if the help of an independent consultant would be needed or if there will be time to upskill staff. Not only can a great manager identify the best way to do things, but also which team members would be most suited to a particular task. This all helps to achieve company objectives on budget and on time without negatively impacting the team.

13. Empathy

The ability to empathize with your colleagues is a skill that, for some, doesn't come naturally. But it is vital, and more importantly, teachable. Digital expert and consultant, Rob Weatherhead argues that:

"It is difficult to manage people if you can't understand their position. This doesn't always mean agreeing with it, but if you can understand it, you can manage it accordingly."

Remember, people are emotional beings. They will form stronger bonds with managers that demonstrate compassion.

The Bottom Line

A great manager won’t necessarily have all the above mentioned managerial skills, but they will have a combination. This allows them to nurture and build on the talents of their team members to achieve their goals. If you are a manager or aspire to be a manager, use this list to identify where your key strengths lie and where improvement is needed, then take action.

More Tips on Team Management

• 9 Effective Team Management Strategies
• Top 10 Management Skills Any Strong Leader Should Master
• 10 Ways to Improve Team Management Skills and Boost Performance

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Biomarkers of brain function may lead to clinical tests for hidden hearing loss

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10 Remarkable Traits of Successful Learners

If you look around, you’ll notice one key trait in all self-made people; they are successful learners who understand what they’re doing in life. These people are masters at the art of learning. Before initiating a project, they make sure they understand what they’re getting themselves into and this trait alone helps them avoid dozens of hurdles in the way. But in order to be a successful learner, there are a lot of other traits that you’ll need to develop. You see, learning is a multi-factorial trait that’s influenced by a number of factors and habits. In order to become a successful learner, here are a few traits that you need to inculcate in yourself.

1. Persistence

Successful learners understand that learning takes time. For them, persistence is the key to success because nothing worth learning is learned in a day or two. As an individual, I believe that the lack of persistence is what holds most people from achieving greatness. Almost everyone has grand ideas and ambitions in life. But only a handful of people manage to accomplish their set goals and targets because others usually don’t put in the amount of work needed to achieve their goal. I say this a lot: When it comes to dreams, most people are just in love with the final product and not the process. Successful people, on the other hand, are in love with both.

2. Patience

Persistence and patience often go hand-in-hand. And successful learners are masters of both. With that said, there’s some difference between both these terms. Persistence is usually for the known while patience comes in handy when the unknown strikes. Allow me to explain: When you plan ahead and work consistently on it, that’s persistence. In this case, you’re continuously working towards your goal and following the set plan or layout. However, patience is tested when that plan unknowingly fails or experiences a hurdle. That’s when there’s a huge chance of people backing out. But successful learners practice patience and take their time to work past problems. A good way to build patience is to accept that your plan or projection is bound to show deviations and discrepancies. People who can’t accept the fact that their plans could fail are the ones who fail the most. Successful learners avoid that problem by expecting their plan to not work out exactly the way it’s supposed to.

3. Conceptual Learning

Successful learners believe in understanding and grasping concepts instead of rote learning. A lot of successful people are of the view that grades aren’t important. That’s because what matters is your understanding of the concept, not the final grade that you get. In real life, the concept is what helps you to apply your learning and get something out of it. That’s why successful learners spend more time building and strengthening their concepts than they do on rote learning.

4. Strong Memory

Sure, concepts are important. But there’s a lot of stuff that needs to be memorized after building a strong concept. There are other things like language that require minimal concept and maximum memorization. That’s why successful learners have a strong memory and that’s something they spend a lot of time working on. In fact, you may find brain and memory games on their phone as they spend ample time working on their retaining ability.

5. Leading Abilities

Successful learners are often important people in social gatherings. That’s because people recognize them as learned individuals that need to be respected on the basis of their knowledge. Often, that knowledge results in an influx of wealth that further helps in improving the social status of these individuals. All these factors add up to create a personality that’s a leader by nature. It’s like their aura has a magnetic effect that pulls others around it. Now the thing about this trait is that it often isn’t acquired directly. It’s not like successful learners learn to lead. It happens at a subconscious level often as a secondary output of their learning ability.

6. Discerning Valuable from the Useless

When I went into college, I was right-out intimidated by the size of the books we had to study. And for a while, this used to bother me because I was under the impression that we had to study each and every word of those books. But as time progressed, I realized that merely 40% of the book was enough to get me 80% of the grades. Essentially, that 40% was the valuable part of those books that I needed to focus on before I decided to work on anything else. This is similar to the Pareto’s Principle, otherwise known as the 80-20 principle which suggests that 80% of the outcome comes from 20% of the effort.((Oregon Women Lawyers: Understanding Pareto’s Principle)) By focusing on the parts of books that mattered the most, I wasn’t just able to score good grades but it also allowed me to distribute my time to other activities. I would study, get good grades, maintain a social life and work on any side projects that I wanted. Most people thought that I’m awfully lucky or gifted, but the secret behind all of this was simply the ability to discern valuable from the useless. If that’s something that you want to learn, I’d urge you to look around yourself and see what sort of learning activities or topics take most of your time but are of least importance for your goal, be it getting a good grade or succeeding at your business venture. If the task doesn’t contribute to your goal, it’s not worth spending your time on.

7. Bold Attitude

Successful learning requires a bold attitude. I know it sounds absurd. But not everyone has the courage to learn everything. A lot of people are intimidated by the time and effort required to learn a skill or a subject. And that intimidation holds them back from even taking that first step. They look at the mountain worth of input required and avoid the whole task in itself. As I mentioned above, nothing worth learning is learned in a day or two; and successful learners understand that. To excel in their field, they take on a bold attitude that embraces hardship and uncertainty.

8. Questioning

The key to effective learning is to question the matter. In fact, a recent study showed that elaborative interrogation (or self-questioning) is a useful learning method.((Sagepub:Improving Students’ Learning with Effective Learning Techniques)) By questioning yourself and your logic, you’ll uncover aspects of the topic that you didn’t even know existed. What’s more, you’ll notice that by questioning while you learn, you’ll be able to look at the concept from a variety of angles and point-of-views which will help you attain perspective. In order to use this technique, set aside some extra time to ponder and question yourself about what you’re trying to learn. When you do that, go into specifics and ask yourself questions that you probably don’t know the answer to. You’ll be surprised to notice that most answers just pop into your head once you actually question yourself.

9. Following Routines

In a world full of distractions, managing one’s time is one of the most useful techniques to learn. And when it comes to time management, there’s nothing better than the good’ol daily routine. Almost all of us have a mental to-do list in our heads as we go about our day. However, what a lot of us lack is a routine and a priority order for that list. Successful learners, however, are great at creating and following routines that help them maximize their learning and implement it in daily life. Another aspect to consider here is that this ability of following routines stems from high self-discipline. A lot of people are great at creating routines, just not so much at following them. And that’s all that matters. Take a look at these Powerful Daily Routine Examples for a Healthy and High-Achieving You.

10. Sticking to Their Learning Style

There are many different types of learners in society. Some people learn best by listening while others write things down. Then there are individuals that like to have a hands-on learning experience. The thing about successful learners is that they know what sort of learning style works best for them. This allows them to focus their learning methodology according to their preferred style so they can maximize their learning. If you’re unaware of the major learning styles, here are a few:

1. Visual Learners
2. Auditory Learners
3. Reading/Writing Learners
4. Kinesthetic (hands-on) Learners

As soon as you know how you learn and the best way to learn, you can better retain information more effectively. So here you are, 10 things you can learn from the successful learners in order to become a faster and smarter learner.

More on Learning Fast

• 6 Effective Learning Techniques that are Backed by Research
• How to Memorize More and Faster Than Other People
• 8 Ways to Train Your Brain to Learn Faster and Remember More

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30 Essential Core Values for Living the Life You Want

The weather will always change. Technology will always change. Trends will always change. We will always change. In a world that is constantly evolving and taking new forms, it can be somewhat overwhelming trying to make sense of this thing called life. One of the things that rarely changes in this world though and what can provide a guiding light for you throughout your life is your core values. This article will provide you with a core values list of 30 incredible values to adopt and use when all else seems to be changing.

What Are Core Values?

Core values are principles or beliefs that you hold most dear and that are of central importance in your life. When everything around you is changing, when the world is difficult to understand, and when you are riding up and down the emotion rollercoaster, your core values will always be there for you.

Why Are Core Values Important?

Core values are important because they act like a compass to help you lead the amazing life that you want, no matter where you find yourself in this world. Not only that, having the right core values can improve your decision-making, your productivity, your achievements and perhaps most importantly, your ability to love and be loved. They're kind of a big deal. And it isn't just us saying this, studies((Psycnet: Self-affirmation and Self-control: Affirming core values counteracts ego depletion)) have shown core values to have a whole host of other benefits.

30 Best Core Values to Live by

You might already have a few core values in mind or in your heart which is great. If you need some more ideas or haven't really thought about your core values until now, here are our 30 favourite core values that you can adopt right now.

1. Acceptance

The ability to accept what you can control and what you can't control. Being able to understand that on some days you are the hammer, and other days you are the nail. With acceptance as a core value, you can build either way and be happy while doing it.

2. Adaptability

Life is going to throw you curve ball after curve ball and if you aren't ready for them, you are going to strikeout. Your life and the life of those you surround yourself with are far too complex to confine yourself to one mould. Be adaptable and ready and willing to change when you need to.

3. Awareness

Awareness is one of the best core values that you can adopt. Period. Awareness means paying attention to yourself, to others, to the world around you, to emotions, to situations. It means being able to see everyone and everything clearly - most importantly yourself.

4. Balance

There are going to be times when you need to sprint in life, and other times when you are going to need to slow down. The yin and the yang. Balance is one of the most important core values in many ancient cultures because it reflects nature for what it truly is: perfectly balanced and able to bend, rather than break.

5. Calmness

As well as being a sublime state of mind, many people forget that calm is a simple decision to make. You can be calm in any situation should you allow yourself to be. No amount of angry drivers, long queues or frustrating technology can penetrate you when you adopt calmness as a core value.

6. Community

Every one of us is a social creature, whether we believe it or not, and community has been a key core value for us as a species for thousands of years. We are hard-wired to socialize; to eat, drink, gossip, laugh, tell stories, share ideas, give and receive amongst ourselves. Community also enhances the effect of other core values on this list, such as creativity.((Sage Journals: Beyond Individual Creativity: The Superadditive Benefits of Multicultural Experience for Collective Creativity in Culturally Diverse Teams ))

7. Compassion

Compassion is taking the time to understand the suffering of others and hopefully, being able to do something about it. There is a lot of struggle and suffering that can be alleviated in the world; with a core value like compassion you might be able to do help your fellow humans in some meaningful way.

8. Creativity

With technology taking most of the administrative jobs, creative people are going to be leading us into the future. Someone who cherishes creativity is able to think up new and big ideas, see things that other people can't and see the world around them through their own lens, not somebody else's.

9. Discipline

Discipline will lead you to the life that you want, should you adopt it as a core value. "Discipline Equals Freedom" is a term popularised by ex-Navy Seal Jocko Willink, and what it means is that if you can be disciplined in the right things, you will be free in the right things too. Discipline to workout means more freedom in your body as you age. Discipline to save means more freedom with your time and money in the long-term. And so it goes...

10. Empathy

There is perhaps no greater value on this list that will connect you deeper to not just the closest people in your life but to complete strangers too. Practising empathy requires the understanding that other people have a nagging voice in their own head, just like you do. That they have a worldview different to yours based on their experiences. And that's ok. It's not easy to adopt empathy as a core value, but it is certainly worth it.

11. Freedom

Freedom comes in many forms and that is why it is one of the ultimate core values to have. The freedom to choose, freedom to speak, freedom to live on your own terms, freedom to love and be loved. If freedom becomes a core value of yours, watch how your life changes for the better.

12. Gratitude

Gratitude provides a powerful perspective shift whenever you feel yourself get into a rut. You can become grateful for the big things like having shelter, food and great people in your life. You can also become grateful for the small things like the cup of coffee that you just drank or the soft sheets on your bed.

13. Happiness

Happiness is a powerful core value and is not just restricted to your own happiness but also friends and family. When happiness guides your decision-making rather than superficial things like money and status, you will find yourself in a much more satisfying position than if you chase other people's idea of happiness.

14. Health

They say that a healthy man has a lot of dreams and wishes whereas a sick man only has one - to be able to get out of bed. Health is the precursor to every other core value on this list; if you don't have your health, you can't do much else until you do. Because of this, health has to be a core value in your life.

15. Humility

Humility is the antidote to arrogance and selfishness and is a value to adopt if you want to keep your feet firmly on the ground. It is said that you are never as good or as bad as people say you are. Humility recognizes this and keeps you moving towards your goal, no matter what anyone else says.

16. Innovation

The act of innovation involves taking one existing thing and making it better. Although images of whacky car designs and complicated technology can spring to mind when thinking about innovation, it doesn't have to be that grandiose. Simply seeing something small and making it better in your own life is enough to make a world of difference.

17. Knowledge

Knowledge is power. Not power in the 14th-century medieval banker-sense but in the power to change your own life-sense. Knowledge about yourself, others and the world allows you to understand everything that you see a bit better. When you see things for what they are, you can act accordingly and get to where you want to be.

18. Leadership

It take guts, determination, confidence and humility to lead. All of these qualities are both rare and admirable and are the reason why leadership is such an excellent core value. The future is dark and unknown but also full of hidden treasures. We need someone to lead us, will it be you?

19. Love

It can be argued that all of the core values on this list can be tied together by the one, all-encompassing value of Love. When you value love deeply and try to show it in everything that you do, you make your world and the world of others a much better place.

20. Moderation

Forget this diet, that diet, eating there, eating then, working out before coffee or always in the afternoon. It's all noise that works for some people some of the time - moderation is the key. Not acting in moderation can also have some damaging consequences, especially for your health.((Psychology Today: Moderation is the key to life)) What works well for all people is everything in moderation. Of course, life should be fun too so even 'everything in moderation', should be in moderation.

21. Peace

Peace is another core value that takes years of practice to perfect. However, its rewards are boundless with both the journey and destination full of rewards. Peace enables clear decision-making, freedom in thoughts and actions as well as providing a deep understanding of the special life that you live.

22. Purpose

Purpose can be doubled up with 'meaning' as these are two values that provide the drive in any endeavour that you might pursue. Purpose is what gets you out of bed every morning, it is why you sacrifice what you sacrifice and often entails something bigger than yourself. If you don't have a purpose, it is unlikely that you will find much meaning in your life.

23. Responsibility

Nobody likes having to take the dog on a walk, having to clean the dishes or do things that they are reluctantly responsible for. However, responsibility can actually be an awesome way to add meaning and value to your life. When other people depend on you and you fulfil your role as provider, not only are they better off but you get the satisfaction that comes along with it too.

24. Service

Similar to the responsibility point above, when you adopt service as a core value, you will have very little time to wallow in any self-pity, anxiety or existential angst because you will be busy making the world a better place. Funnily enough, by serving others, many people find that they themselves are internally served with feelings of satisfaction and contentment.

25. Spirituality

Of course, there is the importance of physical health, mental health and emotional health, but spiritual health is just as important. Spirituality has nothing to do with religion, it simply means taking the time to listen to your body, to watch your thoughts, to connect with and appreciate the world and the universe that you find yourself in.

26. Trust

Trust is a core value on this list because it requires many other difficult skills that also help to develop you as a person. To be able to trust and be trusted, you need strong relationships, an ounce of risk, a healthy dose of vulnerability and a smidge of humility. All of this creates a recipe for a very positive life with trust at the centre.

27. Understanding

Understanding comes from a place of acceptance of what is, not what should be or could be. It is the ability to recognise someone else's viewpoint without trying to change it. It is learning that it is useless to fight against the way the world is and other people are, and to learn to dance with them instead.

28. Wealth

Not in the monetary sense but in the 'having everything that you need sense'. Someone who is truly wealthy possesses great relationships, plenty of freedom, a life filled with joy as well as many of the other values on this list. Adopt wealth as a core value and it will act as a magnet to other incredible things.

29. Wisdom

Contrary to popular belief, wisdom does not come with age but rather, experience. There are many young people with more wisdom than the oldest people that you know. What makes someone wise is their ability to see broadly and clearly, to use good judgement and to be decisive when necessary. Wisdom is something that we all should seek.

30. Wonder

The final value on this list is wonder and it is the ideal place to finish. Wonder is thinking about the possibility of what comes next, dreaming about how you and things could be better, pushing your own boundaries and what you think you are capable of each day. Wonder is practical dreaming, and you should start right away.

Final Thoughts

Now you have a good idea of some of the core values that you can adopt, it's time to not only decide which ones you like the best but also integrate and use them in your daily life. Core values are designed to guide your decisions in your most difficult moments. Now you have everything you need to go and live the life that you want to live!

More About Self-Discovery

• How to Be True to Yourself and Live the Life You Want
• How Self-Reflection Gives You a Happier and More Successful Life
• How to Listen to Your Inner Voice for Greater Fulfillment

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30 Essential Core Values for Living the Life You Want

The weather will always change. Technology will always change. Trends will always change. We will always change. In a world that is constantly evolving and taking new forms, it can be somewhat overwhelming trying to make sense of this thing called life. One of the things that rarely changes in this world though and what can provide a guiding light for you throughout your life is your core values. This article will provide you with a core values list of 30 incredible values to adopt and use when all else seems to be changing.

What Are Core Values?

Core values are principles or beliefs that you hold most dear and that are of central importance in your life. When everything around you is changing, when the world is difficult to understand, and when you are riding up and down the emotion rollercoaster, your core values will always be there for you.

Why Are Core Values Important?

Core values are important because they act like a compass to help you lead the amazing life that you want, no matter where you find yourself in this world. Not only that, having the right core values can improve your decision-making, your productivity, your achievements and perhaps most importantly, your ability to love and be loved. They're kind of a big deal. And it isn't just us saying this, studies((Psycnet: Self-affirmation and Self-control: Affirming core values counteracts ego depletion)) have shown core values to have a whole host of other benefits.

30 Best Core Values to Live by

You might already have a few core values in mind or in your heart which is great. If you need some more ideas or haven't really thought about your core values until now, here are our 30 favourite core values that you can adopt right now.

1. Acceptance

The ability to accept what you can control and what you can't control. Being able to understand that on some days you are the hammer, and other days you are the nail. With acceptance as a core value, you can build either way and be happy while doing it.

2. Adaptability

Life is going to throw you curve ball after curve ball and if you aren't ready for them, you are going to strikeout. Your life and the life of those you surround yourself with are far too complex to confine yourself to one mould. Be adaptable and ready and willing to change when you need to.

3. Awareness

Awareness is one of the best core values that you can adopt. Period. Awareness means paying attention to yourself, to others, to the world around you, to emotions, to situations. It means being able to see everyone and everything clearly - most importantly yourself.

4. Balance

There are going to be times when you need to sprint in life, and other times when you are going to need to slow down. The yin and the yang. Balance is one of the most important core values in many ancient cultures because it reflects nature for what it truly is: perfectly balanced and able to bend, rather than break.

5. Calmness

As well as being a sublime state of mind, many people forget that calm is a simple decision to make. You can be calm in any situation should you allow yourself to be. No amount of angry drivers, long queues or frustrating technology can penetrate you when you adopt calmness as a core value.

6. Community

Every one of us is a social creature, whether we believe it or not, and community has been a key core value for us as a species for thousands of years. We are hard-wired to socialize; to eat, drink, gossip, laugh, tell stories, share ideas, give and receive amongst ourselves. Community also enhances the effect of other core values on this list, such as creativity.((Sage Journals: Beyond Individual Creativity: The Superadditive Benefits of Multicultural Experience for Collective Creativity in Culturally Diverse Teams ))

7. Compassion

Compassion is taking the time to understand the suffering of others and hopefully, being able to do something about it. There is a lot of struggle and suffering that can be alleviated in the world; with a core value like compassion you might be able to do help your fellow humans in some meaningful way.

8. Creativity

With technology taking most of the administrative jobs, creative people are going to be leading us into the future. Someone who cherishes creativity is able to think up new and big ideas, see things that other people can't and see the world around them through their own lens, not somebody else's.

9. Discipline

Discipline will lead you to the life that you want, should you adopt it as a core value. "Discipline Equals Freedom" is a term popularised by ex-Navy Seal Jocko Willink, and what it means is that if you can be disciplined in the right things, you will be free in the right things too. Discipline to workout means more freedom in your body as you age. Discipline to save means more freedom with your time and money in the long-term. And so it goes...

10. Empathy

There is perhaps no greater value on this list that will connect you deeper to not just the closest people in your life but to complete strangers too. Practising empathy requires the understanding that other people have a nagging voice in their own head, just like you do. That they have a worldview different to yours based on their experiences. And that's ok. It's not easy to adopt empathy as a core value, but it is certainly worth it.

11. Freedom

Freedom comes in many forms and that is why it is one of the ultimate core values to have. The freedom to choose, freedom to speak, freedom to live on your own terms, freedom to love and be loved. If freedom becomes a core value of yours, watch how your life changes for the better.

12. Gratitude

Gratitude provides a powerful perspective shift whenever you feel yourself get into a rut. You can become grateful for the big things like having shelter, food and great people in your life. You can also become grateful for the small things like the cup of coffee that you just drank or the soft sheets on your bed.

13. Happiness

Happiness is a powerful core value and is not just restricted to your own happiness but also friends and family. When happiness guides your decision-making rather than superficial things like money and status, you will find yourself in a much more satisfying position than if you chase other people's idea of happiness.

14. Health

They say that a healthy man has a lot of dreams and wishes whereas a sick man only has one - to be able to get out of bed. Health is the precursor to every other core value on this list; if you don't have your health, you can't do much else until you do. Because of this, health has to be a core value in your life.

15. Humility

Humility is the antidote to arrogance and selfishness and is a value to adopt if you want to keep your feet firmly on the ground. It is said that you are never as good or as bad as people say you are. Humility recognizes this and keeps you moving towards your goal, no matter what anyone else says.

16. Innovation

The act of innovation involves taking one existing thing and making it better. Although images of whacky car designs and complicated technology can spring to mind when thinking about innovation, it doesn't have to be that grandiose. Simply seeing something small and making it better in your own life is enough to make a world of difference.

17. Knowledge

Knowledge is power. Not power in the 14th-century medieval banker-sense but in the power to change your own life-sense. Knowledge about yourself, others and the world allows you to understand everything that you see a bit better. When you see things for what they are, you can act accordingly and get to where you want to be.

18. Leadership

It take guts, determination, confidence and humility to lead. All of these qualities are both rare and admirable and are the reason why leadership is such an excellent core value. The future is dark and unknown but also full of hidden treasures. We need someone to lead us, will it be you?

19. Love

It can be argued that all of the core values on this list can be tied together by the one, all-encompassing value of Love. When you value love deeply and try to show it in everything that you do, you make your world and the world of others a much better place.

20. Moderation

Forget this diet, that diet, eating there, eating then, working out before coffee or always in the afternoon. It's all noise that works for some people some of the time - moderation is the key. Not acting in moderation can also have some damaging consequences, especially for your health.((Psychology Today: Moderation is the key to life)) What works well for all people is everything in moderation. Of course, life should be fun too so even 'everything in moderation', should be in moderation.

21. Peace

Peace is another core value that takes years of practice to perfect. However, its rewards are boundless with both the journey and destination full of rewards. Peace enables clear decision-making, freedom in thoughts and actions as well as providing a deep understanding of the special life that you live.

22. Purpose

Purpose can be doubled up with 'meaning' as these are two values that provide the drive in any endeavour that you might pursue. Purpose is what gets you out of bed every morning, it is why you sacrifice what you sacrifice and often entails something bigger than yourself. If you don't have a purpose, it is unlikely that you will find much meaning in your life.

23. Responsibility

Nobody likes having to take the dog on a walk, having to clean the dishes or do things that they are reluctantly responsible for. However, responsibility can actually be an awesome way to add meaning and value to your life. When other people depend on you and you fulfil your role as provider, not only are they better off but you get the satisfaction that comes along with it too.

24. Service

Similar to the responsibility point above, when you adopt service as a core value, you will have very little time to wallow in any self-pity, anxiety or existential angst because you will be busy making the world a better place. Funnily enough, by serving others, many people find that they themselves are internally served with feelings of satisfaction and contentment.

25. Spirituality

Of course, there is the importance of physical health, mental health and emotional health, but spiritual health is just as important. Spirituality has nothing to do with religion, it simply means taking the time to listen to your body, to watch your thoughts, to connect with and appreciate the world and the universe that you find yourself in.

26. Trust

Trust is a core value on this list because it requires many other difficult skills that also help to develop you as a person. To be able to trust and be trusted, you need strong relationships, an ounce of risk, a healthy dose of vulnerability and a smidge of humility. All of this creates a recipe for a very positive life with trust at the centre.

27. Understanding

Understanding comes from a place of acceptance of what is, not what should be or could be. It is the ability to recognise someone else's viewpoint without trying to change it. It is learning that it is useless to fight against the way the world is and other people are, and to learn to dance with them instead.

28. Wealth

Not in the monetary sense but in the 'having everything that you need sense'. Someone who is truly wealthy possesses great relationships, plenty of freedom, a life filled with joy as well as many of the other values on this list. Adopt wealth as a core value and it will act as a magnet to other incredible things.

29. Wisdom

Contrary to popular belief, wisdom does not come with age but rather, experience. There are many young people with more wisdom than the oldest people that you know. What makes someone wise is their ability to see broadly and clearly, to use good judgement and to be decisive when necessary. Wisdom is something that we all should seek.

30. Wonder

The final value on this list is wonder and it is the ideal place to finish. Wonder is thinking about the possibility of what comes next, dreaming about how you and things could be better, pushing your own boundaries and what you think you are capable of each day. Wonder is practical dreaming, and you should start right away.

Final Thoughts

Now you have a good idea of some of the core values that you can adopt, it's time to not only decide which ones you like the best but also integrate and use them in your daily life. Core values are designed to guide your decisions in your most difficult moments. Now you have everything you need to go and live the life that you want to live!

More About Self-Discovery

• How to Be True to Yourself and Live the Life You Want
• How Self-Reflection Gives You a Happier and More Successful Life
• How to Listen to Your Inner Voice for Greater Fulfillment

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30 Essential Core Values for Living the Life You Want

The weather will always change. Technology will always change. Trends will always change. We will always change. In a world that is constantly evolving and taking new forms, it can be somewhat overwhelming trying to make sense of this thing called life. One of the things that rarely changes in this world though and what can provide a guiding light for you throughout your life is your core values. This article will provide you with a core values list of 30 incredible values to adopt and use when all else seems to be changing.

What Are Core Values?

Core values are principles or beliefs that you hold most dear and that are of central importance in your life. When everything around you is changing, when the world is difficult to understand, and when you are riding up and down the emotion rollercoaster, your core values will always be there for you.

Why Are Core Values Important?

Core values are important because they act like a compass to help you lead the amazing life that you want, no matter where you find yourself in this world. Not only that, having the right core values can improve your decision-making, your productivity, your achievements and perhaps most importantly, your ability to love and be loved. They're kind of a big deal. And it isn't just us saying this, studies((Psycnet: Self-affirmation and Self-control: Affirming core values counteracts ego depletion)) have shown core values to have a whole host of other benefits.

30 Best Core Values to Live by

You might already have a few core values in mind or in your heart which is great. If you need some more ideas or haven't really thought about your core values until now, here are our 30 favourite core values that you can adopt right now.

1. Acceptance

The ability to accept what you can control and what you can't control. Being able to understand that on some days you are the hammer, and other days you are the nail. With acceptance as a core value, you can build either way and be happy while doing it.

2. Adaptability

Life is going to throw you curve ball after curve ball and if you aren't ready for them, you are going to strikeout. Your life and the life of those you surround yourself with are far too complex to confine yourself to one mould. Be adaptable and ready and willing to change when you need to.

3. Awareness

Awareness is one of the best core values that you can adopt. Period. Awareness means paying attention to yourself, to others, to the world around you, to emotions, to situations. It means being able to see everyone and everything clearly - most importantly yourself.

4. Balance

There are going to be times when you need to sprint in life, and other times when you are going to need to slow down. The yin and the yang. Balance is one of the most important core values in many ancient cultures because it reflects nature for what it truly is: perfectly balanced and able to bend, rather than break.

5. Calmness

As well as being a sublime state of mind, many people forget that calm is a simple decision to make. You can be calm in any situation should you allow yourself to be. No amount of angry drivers, long queues or frustrating technology can penetrate you when you adopt calmness as a core value.

6. Community

Every one of us is a social creature, whether we believe it or not, and community has been a key core value for us as a species for thousands of years. We are hard-wired to socialize; to eat, drink, gossip, laugh, tell stories, share ideas, give and receive amongst ourselves. Community also enhances the effect of other core values on this list, such as creativity.((Sage Journals: Beyond Individual Creativity: The Superadditive Benefits of Multicultural Experience for Collective Creativity in Culturally Diverse Teams ))

7. Compassion

Compassion is taking the time to understand the suffering of others and hopefully, being able to do something about it. There is a lot of struggle and suffering that can be alleviated in the world; with a core value like compassion you might be able to do help your fellow humans in some meaningful way.

8. Creativity

With technology taking most of the administrative jobs, creative people are going to be leading us into the future. Someone who cherishes creativity is able to think up new and big ideas, see things that other people can't and see the world around them through their own lens, not somebody else's.

9. Discipline

Discipline will lead you to the life that you want, should you adopt it as a core value. "Discipline Equals Freedom" is a term popularised by ex-Navy Seal Jocko Willink, and what it means is that if you can be disciplined in the right things, you will be free in the right things too. Discipline to workout means more freedom in your body as you age. Discipline to save means more freedom with your time and money in the long-term. And so it goes...

10. Empathy

There is perhaps no greater value on this list that will connect you deeper to not just the closest people in your life but to complete strangers too. Practising empathy requires the understanding that other people have a nagging voice in their own head, just like you do. That they have a worldview different to yours based on their experiences. And that's ok. It's not easy to adopt empathy as a core value, but it is certainly worth it.

11. Freedom

Freedom comes in many forms and that is why it is one of the ultimate core values to have. The freedom to choose, freedom to speak, freedom to live on your own terms, freedom to love and be loved. If freedom becomes a core value of yours, watch how your life changes for the better.

12. Gratitude

Gratitude provides a powerful perspective shift whenever you feel yourself get into a rut. You can become grateful for the big things like having shelter, food and great people in your life. You can also become grateful for the small things like the cup of coffee that you just drank or the soft sheets on your bed.

13. Happiness

Happiness is a powerful core value and is not just restricted to your own happiness but also friends and family. When happiness guides your decision-making rather than superficial things like money and status, you will find yourself in a much more satisfying position than if you chase other people's idea of happiness.

14. Health

They say that a healthy man has a lot of dreams and wishes whereas a sick man only has one - to be able to get out of bed. Health is the precursor to every other core value on this list; if you don't have your health, you can't do much else until you do. Because of this, health has to be a core value in your life.

15. Humility

Humility is the antidote to arrogance and selfishness and is a value to adopt if you want to keep your feet firmly on the ground. It is said that you are never as good or as bad as people say you are. Humility recognizes this and keeps you moving towards your goal, no matter what anyone else says.

16. Innovation

The act of innovation involves taking one existing thing and making it better. Although images of whacky car designs and complicated technology can spring to mind when thinking about innovation, it doesn't have to be that grandiose. Simply seeing something small and making it better in your own life is enough to make a world of difference.

17. Knowledge

Knowledge is power. Not power in the 14th-century medieval banker-sense but in the power to change your own life-sense. Knowledge about yourself, others and the world allows you to understand everything that you see a bit better. When you see things for what they are, you can act accordingly and get to where you want to be.

18. Leadership

It take guts, determination, confidence and humility to lead. All of these qualities are both rare and admirable and are the reason why leadership is such an excellent core value. The future is dark and unknown but also full of hidden treasures. We need someone to lead us, will it be you?

19. Love

It can be argued that all of the core values on this list can be tied together by the one, all-encompassing value of Love. When you value love deeply and try to show it in everything that you do, you make your world and the world of others a much better place.

20. Moderation

Forget this diet, that diet, eating there, eating then, working out before coffee or always in the afternoon. It's all noise that works for some people some of the time - moderation is the key. Not acting in moderation can also have some damaging consequences, especially for your health.((Psychology Today: Moderation is the key to life)) What works well for all people is everything in moderation. Of course, life should be fun too so even 'everything in moderation', should be in moderation.

21. Peace

Peace is another core value that takes years of practice to perfect. However, its rewards are boundless with both the journey and destination full of rewards. Peace enables clear decision-making, freedom in thoughts and actions as well as providing a deep understanding of the special life that you live.

22. Purpose

Purpose can be doubled up with 'meaning' as these are two values that provide the drive in any endeavour that you might pursue. Purpose is what gets you out of bed every morning, it is why you sacrifice what you sacrifice and often entails something bigger than yourself. If you don't have a purpose, it is unlikely that you will find much meaning in your life.

23. Responsibility

Nobody likes having to take the dog on a walk, having to clean the dishes or do things that they are reluctantly responsible for. However, responsibility can actually be an awesome way to add meaning and value to your life. When other people depend on you and you fulfil your role as provider, not only are they better off but you get the satisfaction that comes along with it too.

24. Service

Similar to the responsibility point above, when you adopt service as a core value, you will have very little time to wallow in any self-pity, anxiety or existential angst because you will be busy making the world a better place. Funnily enough, by serving others, many people find that they themselves are internally served with feelings of satisfaction and contentment.

25. Spirituality

Of course, there is the importance of physical health, mental health and emotional health, but spiritual health is just as important. Spirituality has nothing to do with religion, it simply means taking the time to listen to your body, to watch your thoughts, to connect with and appreciate the world and the universe that you find yourself in.

26. Trust

Trust is a core value on this list because it requires many other difficult skills that also help to develop you as a person. To be able to trust and be trusted, you need strong relationships, an ounce of risk, a healthy dose of vulnerability and a smidge of humility. All of this creates a recipe for a very positive life with trust at the centre.

27. Understanding

Understanding comes from a place of acceptance of what is, not what should be or could be. It is the ability to recognise someone else's viewpoint without trying to change it. It is learning that it is useless to fight against the way the world is and other people are, and to learn to dance with them instead.

28. Wealth

Not in the monetary sense but in the 'having everything that you need sense'. Someone who is truly wealthy possesses great relationships, plenty of freedom, a life filled with joy as well as many of the other values on this list. Adopt wealth as a core value and it will act as a magnet to other incredible things.

29. Wisdom

Contrary to popular belief, wisdom does not come with age but rather, experience. There are many young people with more wisdom than the oldest people that you know. What makes someone wise is their ability to see broadly and clearly, to use good judgement and to be decisive when necessary. Wisdom is something that we all should seek.

30. Wonder

The final value on this list is wonder and it is the ideal place to finish. Wonder is thinking about the possibility of what comes next, dreaming about how you and things could be better, pushing your own boundaries and what you think you are capable of each day. Wonder is practical dreaming, and you should start right away.

Final Thoughts

Now you have a good idea of some of the core values that you can adopt, it's time to not only decide which ones you like the best but also integrate and use them in your daily life. Core values are designed to guide your decisions in your most difficult moments. Now you have everything you need to go and live the life that you want to live!

More About Self-Discovery

• How to Be True to Yourself and Live the Life You Want
• How Self-Reflection Gives You a Happier and More Successful Life
• How to Listen to Your Inner Voice for Greater Fulfillment

from Lifehack - Feed https://ift.tt/2TZW2v2