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Have You Ever Drifted? Staying in Your Lane With Core Values

 


Have you ever found yourself drifting—maybe in your career, your calling, or even your personal life? Not a dramatic detour, but the kind where one small decision at a time slowly pulls you away from where you intended to go. It’s subtle. It’s gradual. And sometimes, you don’t realize how far off-course you’ve gone until you look up.

 

Recently, I experienced a simple but profound lesson—while driving. My new car has a feature called lane-keep assist. If I drift too far left or right, the car senses it and gently nudges me back to center. It’s not jarring, but it is firm enough to remind me: You’re drifting. Come back to your lane.

 

Wouldn’t it be helpful if life had something like that? In many ways, it does—our core values. When we know what we stand for, what matters most, and how we are called to show up in the world, those values act like lane guides. They remind us when we’re drifting from:

  • Who we are
  • What we believe in
  • What we’re uniquely called to do
  • What aligns with our capacity, purpose, and season

 

Without clear values, we can say “yes” to the wrong opportunities, take on responsibilities that drain us instead of strengthen us, or shape our life around expectations that aren’t our own. It doesn’t usually happen all at once; it’s slow, nearly unnoticed—until we no longer recognize where we are or how we got there.

 

But with values firmly in place, we have guardrails. We notice sooner when something feels off. We feel the internal nudge: This is not aligned. It’s time to recenter.


Values do more than inspire us—they orient us. They help us discern:

  • What deserves our attention?
  • What isn’t ours to carry?
  • What opportunities are truly aligned?
  • When to rest, pause, or pivot.
  • How to make decisions with clarity and peace.

 

They’re not rules; they’re anchors. When life gets fast, full, or uncertain—values keep us from being tossed by every demand or expectation. They return us to purpose, calling, and peace.

 

Take a moment and ask yourself:

  • Where in my life do I feel drift happening?
  • What values do I want guiding me back to center?
  • How can I realign with what matters most this week?

 

You don’t have to stay off-course. Just like that lane-assist reminder, a gentle return to center is always possible.

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