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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