The Joy Maker Series: The Transforming Nature of Knowing Your Core Values

Hello Hello and welcome back,

Today I wanted to bring to you the truly transformative power of knowing your core values, and consciously living by them.  For many years I have been implementing this principle into my personal life, but I have recently been introduced to the concept of “Values Based Businesses “by a good friend and so I am now expanding this methodology into all of my work interactions as well.

So, what exactly are core values and what are Values Based Businesses?

The answer is pretty simple.

Your core values are the values that underpin the way you perceive the world around you and operate in it. They are the values that are of supreme importance to you and mark your life with hallmarks that reflect these beliefs and paradigms. You could say it is like your personal “ mission statement”!  For me, my core values are honesty, integrity, quality, individuality, human connectivity, creativity and fun. And so these are all the aspects I try to bring to my life and highlight in everything I do. That is, all my decisions are made around these founding principles and everything else ripples out from there.

For me – honesty is a must in all my communications, even if it means a negative reaction from a client. Integrity is paramount in all my decision making, and for me, links in quite critically with honesty. Aiming for quality is always a main objective, even when this comes with challenges. Encouraging creativity is a must, which also aligns with drawing out a person’s individuality, which is at the core of everything I do. Encouraging human connectivity is a hallmark of everything I envision and activate in my life. And finally – I am aiming to make everything fun!

So with these “ core values” I go out into the world and aim to bring these qualities to everything I do, whether it is playing my drumkit, teaching a dance class, cleaning my house, visiting with friends or starting a new project and learning a new skill etc etc

These are my personal core values.

Bringing this set of “Core Values “into a business realm is what makes the business  a “ Values Based Business”. It is a business that operates from a fundamental set of guiding values that underpins all processes, decisions and communications undertaken by that company or organization. And these core values also dictate and underpin any relationships and communications between all members of staff, or anyone interacting with the business.

So for you, if you are a business owner or parent you can choose to implement “ Values Based Living “ [ VBL ] in any ,or all aspects of your life:

1. Personal
2. Familial
3. Business

And when you actively and consciously bring a values based approach to life, this is when you may feel increased joy and balance , as all your decisions and actions will be in alignment with your core values.

The first step here is to define what your core values are. For example, they may be similar to mine = honesty, integrity, individuality and human connectivity.

Or they may be quite different and be = service, competitive success and flexibility.

Whatever your core values are, you will see that they most likely bleed over into every area of your life.

So, take a moment now to search within your heart and jot them down. I would aim to have three to five values – but there is no set amount.

Then decide where and how you want to bring these core values into your life.

Bringing these values into your personal life is quite easy, as you simply write the values down and then set about bringing them into your life on a daily basis. It may not always be simple, but self -reflection and an attention to your thoughts, words and interactions with the people around you will tell you if you are on track. You will be a work in progress as you navigate no longer doing or saying things that do not align with this set of core values.

When it comes to your family, you may need to have a “round table “meeting with the entire family and decide upon these values together. Then you could write these values down and discuss ways in which you are going to bring these to your family life.

For example – if you want to foster “human connectivity” as a value in your home you may decide to ban mobile phones at the dinner table and/or ban all electronics from 6:00pm – 10:00pm each night. You may make board games a regular activity one night per week or plan a Sunday Roast that is compulsory for all family members to attend.

You may also choose “honesty “as another value and then commit to always being honest about how you are feeling about the family dynamic, even if it upsets another family member and make these discussions open and approachable.

There are many ways you could do this in the familial setting – so go with your gut and work within the dynamic of your own family.

And finally we have the dynamic of bringing values into your business.

For instance – as a dance educator, one of your core values may be integrity, and for you this may mean that you do not wish to participate in a lot of social media with your students. You may send an email to all parents, hold an open discussion with your students and teachers and work out ways to limit your social media exposure to develop the type of dance studio you wish to run. You could foster other performance opportunities and exposures that reflect your own values. You simply need to explain why you hold this particular  core value and then like -minded parents, teachers and students may flock to your studio.

You may also value inclusivity in your dance school ,so you may start classes at your school for disadvantaged students, adults with Parkinsons, classes for the disabled etc This could be your hallmark. Your calling card if you like. Bringing the arts and dance to communities that may otherwise not have the opportunity.

The one thing to remember is that you can’t compare yourself to anyone else or any other family or any other institution. Your core values are your own and 100% subjective.

What is of value to you, may or may not be of any value to someone else, so it is really important not to judge others or yourself.

Discover your core values and set about implementing them into all aspects of your life and watch the joy unfold. It does not matter what other people are doing. It only matters that you are living the life that aligns with your core values. Once you do this, you most likely will feel a huge shift, because you will be operating from a place of honour. That is, you will be honouring the truth of who you are.

It really is quite a simple concept – you just need to take the time to think about it and establish those Core Values!

So – go forth and feel the joy with your core values in tow, underpinning all your decision making and interactions with your world.

Feel the Joy of being true to You,

Christine

NOTE: All Christine’s Joymaker columns are general in nature and written from the perspective of personal experience, research and study. They are offered here as advice and support only. Should you be experiencing serious mental health issues, financial concerns or medical issues of any kind we highly recommend you seek assistance from a trained professional.