What Are Your Core Values (and Why Weren’t We Taught This?)

If I asked you right now to name your top three or four personal values, could you?

Most people can’t - not because they don’t have any, but because no one ever taught them how to notice, name, or define them.

In business, we talk about values all the time - Integrity. Excellence. Innovation.

But in life? In relationships? In emotional wellbeing? When it comes to describing who we truly are?

We’re often expected to just… know. To figure it out the hard way. To go through life without really understanding what values mean to us.

But truly knowing your core values changes everything.

Your values are your inner compass - they guide what feels aligned, what feels off, what matters most to you.

They help explain why certain things trigger you, why you’re pulled toward some paths and drained by others, why some choices feel right even when they’re tough, and why others leave you feeling like you’ve betrayed yourself. They show you where your boundaries lie and who you really want to be.

The truth is, most of us inherited values before we ever consciously chose them. We absorbed them from parents, school, society…and we shaped ourselves around those inherited values - often without asking,

“Do these really feel true for me?”

This is where it gets tricky. When you live out of alignment with your true values, life feels confusing. You people-please. You fear upsetting others. You disconnect. You burn out. Unconsciously, you expect others to live by your values too - even if you’re not aware you’re not living them yourself.

However, when you name your values - when you own them - something shifts.

You stop performing and start choosing.

You begin to trust yourself again.

And the best part? That inner calm and peace we all search for starts to come from within - not from the outside world.

So maybe today, take a few minutes to listen to your inner compass.

What are the core values that truly guide you?