January 29, 2014 | Issue 01.2014

Note from the Trail
Are You Core Driven? [Feature Article]
Recommended Resources

Hello, Trailblazer!

I hope you enjoy the cleaner format of The Trailblazer. You’ll also notice a slight shift in the theme. It reflects a refinement in the mission of my coaching business.

Last year I named my business Thriving Edge. The word Thriving refers to lifelong growth and development to realize your potential, expand your capabilities, and enjoy greater well being. Edge refers to pushing yourself outside your comfort zone to find your sweet spot, and it also refers to that extra boost of mojo you get when you are thriving.

Thriving is the goal, and developing and acting from your core self is the means to reach the goal. Your core self is your true, authentic self, the parts of you that are deep and abiding. Some parts of your core are natural, based on your genetic code. Others are developed over many years of observing and learning and deliberating. They are the qualities and aspects that most consistently and clearly define you to yourself.

Your core self is the seat of your heart, your strengths, talents, passions, values, and principles. It speaks through your imagination to give you vision and it energizes and motivates you when you engage it. It drives you when you are open to it.

Thriving comes from living in alignment with your core self, being guided and energized and motivated by your true nature. That’s what it means to be Core Driven.

When you are Core Driven, you don’t follow the herd. You find the path that is right for you, one that authentically aligns with your real nature. It’s not a selfish path, but one that honors both self-respect and respect for others.

You can follow other people’s examples when you are staying true to yourself, but you can’t follow their paths. You have to find the path that is right for you.

And to do that, you have to be a Trailblazer.

Our paths as Trailblazers will intersect at times and follow similar routes at times. We won’t go to all the same places, but we will share many similar experiences to support and encourage one another. And we will share our unique experiences to teach and enlighten one another.

I look forward to seeing you on the traill!

P.S. A very special Welcome! to those of you who have signed up since the last issue went out. I’m glad you’re here! As a subscriber to The Trailblazer, you are part of my Advisory Board. I count on all of you for feedback on what you want to see more of and what you want to see less of in future issues. As you read through this issue, please remember:

If you like what you see, please tell your family and friends.
If you don’t like something, please tell me!

We all have layers of ourselves, from most public to most private. And we all have an image we present to the world, what psychologist Carl Jung called the persona. The image is based on how we want other people to respond to us. We use it to conceal things that are private, those vulnerable things we don’t want everyone else to know about us.

Some of those vulnerable areas are our past experiences, and some are our past actions. But some are aspects of the deepest, true self, which is the core self.

People who aren’t comfortable with who they really are lose power fighting themselves and hiding their core. People who aren’t strongly aware of their core self are likely to live by other people’s goals and standards, which can leave them unsatisfied and unfulfilled.

But people who explore the truth of who they are, develop their innate capacities, and use their core self as a visionary guide and an energizing motivator will find amazing benefits. They will have more meaningful work, experience the rapture of getting into flow, have a greater sense of purpose from honoring and living out their values, be more resilient when faced with adversity, experience more success, and enjoy greater well being.

The key components of the core self are strengths, values, emotions, deeply held beliefs, and character.

Strengths

Your strengths include the things you are naturally good at, like talent, which is the ability to develop a particular skill with ease. They include the way you interact with the world and take in and process information, like being good at spatial design or reading body language. They include your character strengths, the capacities that draw you towards ongoing growth, connection, and contribution and provide resilience during challenging times.

Values

Your values are, stated simply, the things you value. They can be activities like spending time in nature or sharing time with friends and family. They can be causes you support, like animal rights or international assistance programs or religious evangelism. They can be high ideals, like justice and liberty and equality. They include moral and ethical guidelines which you hold closely and value strongly.

Emotions

The ability to experience a variety of emotions is a key aspect of the core self. Emotions are messages that resonate in your mind and in your body. Those messages are triggered by immediate events, memories of past events, imagining possible future events, and even imagining a different past from what occurred. They point to what’s important to us. Strong unpleasant feelings are warnings and preparation to take action to protect ourselves or our loved ones. Positive emotions tell us what’s nurturing and beneficial to us, but they speak with a whisper compared to the trumpet blast of unpleasant emotions.

Deeply Held Beliefs

Your beliefs are the story you tell yourself to explain why things happen the way they do. Beliefs are learned from other people and from past experiences, so they can be inaccurate or incomplete. Beliefs can change over time in response to new experiences. You can change inaccurate or outdated beliefs intentionally by challenging them. Your deeply held beliefs are more consistent and persistent. They aren’t easy to change. They tend to stand up over time and apply to a lot of different situations. They are a key part of how you identify yourself.

Character

Your character is the standard of behavior you present in your life. It reflects the principles that guide your choices, from everyday practices to moral dilemmas. Your character comes from your strengths, your values, your emotions, and your deeply held beliefs expressing what matters most to you. Character is developed through practice over time and can be cultivated and improved.

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Chose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Application: Begin to develop your awareness of your core self. At least once per day, spend a little time thinking about each component of the core self and what you have learned about yourself that day. Use a tool such as a journal or a whiteboard to capture your insight.

Question: How do these categories fit your experience? Do you have changes to suggest in how to present them, or do you have another category to recommend?

I’d love to hear your thoughts as you consider this model and apply it in your life. Please email me your comments and questions.