Quiet Rebellion Field Manual #01: Discovering Your Core Values
A Quiet Rebellion Reflection Guide
The Quiet Rebellion Field Manuals are practical tools for Rebels who are ready to realign. They’re not content. They’re invitations - to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the parts of yourself you’ve abandoned in the name of survival, success, or staying afloat.
The Signal
A few years ago, I was working at Google in the Business Operations team.
On paper, it was a dream role. I was helping newsrooms across the U.S. build more sustainable businesses. It was strategic, high-impact, and deeply respected work.
But something wasn’t sitting right.
At the same time, I was diving deeper into my own mindfulness practice… and facilitating mindfulness for others.
I was coaching. Guiding. Helping people come back to themselves.
And yet… the tools I was selling as part of my day job (advertising technologies) were designed to do the opposite.
Capture attention. Drive distraction. Optimize engagement at all costs.
That contradiction became impossible to ignore.
Eventually, I listened to my intuition and checked in with my principles and made a shift. I moved into a new org inside the company that focused on learning and development. Work that aligned more clearly with my values of service, growth, and integrity.
It wasn’t just a career move. It was a realignment.
This is where every Quiet Rebellion begins. With the moment you notice that what you're doing... doesn’t feel aligned.
From there, you have choices to make.
The Map
Most people don’t choose their values on purpose. They inherit them. Absorb them. Get rewarded for performing them.
Over time, those values shape how we spend our time. Who we try to please. What we prioritize.
But eventually... the cracks start to show. You feel the friction. The fatigue. The quiet sense that something’s off.
This is your chance to pause and ask...
What actually matters to me now? Not to the company. Not to my peers. Not to my partner. Not to who I was ten years ago. To me. Now.
This manual will help you reconnect with the values that still feel true, and begin to set aside the ones that no longer fit.
The Insight
Before we start naming values, let’s look at your life.
Your values already live in your behaviors. In the moments when you felt fully yourself. And the ones when you didn’t.
Choose one or more of the prompts below.
Write freely for 5 to 10 minutes each.
Let it be raw and messy. You’re not here to be productive. You’re here to be honest.
Who are two or three people you admire? Personal mentors, public figures, fictional characters… anyone.
What qualities do they embody that resonate with you?
Think of a time when you felt fully alive and deeply yourself.
What were you doing?
What mattered to you in that moment?
What traits or behaviors light you up when you see them in others?
What do you wish was more present in your life?
If you stripped away the “shoulds,” the roles, and the rewards… who would remain?
What would that person stand for?
In Your Hardest Moments
We often define values by who we aspire to be.
But it’s just as revealing to explore who we became when things were falling apart.
Think of a time when you were under intense pressure…
Burned out. Grieving. Betrayed. Afraid.
Moments where survival mode kicked in.
Now reflect:
What values were driving your behavior then?
(Even if they weren’t values you’re proud of now.)What felt non-negotiable in that moment?
What were you protecting? What did you sacrifice?
Who did you become to get through it?
You might surface values like control, approval, loyalty, self-reliance, or security.
These may not be the values you want to lead with, but they still matter.
Because when we’re under strain, our unconscious values often take the wheel.
And until we name them, they’ll keep shaping our choices from the background.
Coaching Note: When you're stuck between two values
It’s normal to feel torn between values that seem equally important like freedom and security... honesty and harmony. You don’t have to choose one over the other.
Just name the tension.
Notice when it shows up.
Let it inform your decisions rather than confuse them.
The Compass
You’ve looked inward. Now we give language to what you’ve found.
Here's a way to build your values list:
(1) Skim the list below
(2) Highlight any words that resonate
(3) Narrow your list to 10
(4) Then narrow that down to your Core 5 values that you want guiding your life right now.
These aren’t aspirational. They’re foundational.
If something important isn’t listed, add it.
This is your compass. It should sound like you.
Values List:
Accountability
Achievement
Adventure
Ambition
Balance
Beauty
Boldness
Compassion
Confidence
Creativity
Courage
Discipline
Diversity
Empathy
Empowerment
Equality
Excellence
Family
Fairness
Flexibility
Focus
Forgiveness
Freedom
Friendship
Generosity
Grace
Gratitude
Growth
Happiness
Harmony
Health
Honesty
Humility
Humor
Imagination
Impact
Independence
Inclusivity
Influence
Innovation
Integrity
Joy
Justice
Kindness
Knowledge
Leadership
Learning
Legacy
Logic
Love
Loyalty
Motivation
Mindfulness
Openness
Optimism
Passion
Patience
Peace
Perseverance
Philanthropy
Positivity
Power
Professionalism
Progress
Quality
Recognition
Reliability
Respect
Responsibility
Resilience
Resourcefulness
Serenity
Service
Simplicity
Spirituality
Stability
Stewardship
Strength
Success
Sustainability
Teamwork
Transparency
Trust
Understanding
Unity
Valor
Vision
Wisdom
Coaching Note: Performative vs. Real
Some values show up because they’ve been rewarded. Others because they’ve been suppressed.
Ask yourself... is this a value I live from?
Or one I perform for approval? You get to choose your own compass.
No one else has to follow it but you.
The Alignment
Knowing your values is powerful. But it only matters if you live them.
Use these prompts to explore how your values show up in your day-to-day life:
Where do you feel most in alignment with your values?
Where are the biggest gaps?
Are there values you’ve been suppressing?
What’s it costing you?
Are any of your values in tension? (freedom vs stability... truth vs belonging)
What’s one area of your life that’s asking for more alignment?
In that list of values, are there any you’re embodying now, vs ones you aspire to?
Coaching Note: When your values clash with your job
Sometimes the work itself isn’t the problem. It’s the cost of doing it out of alignment.
If your job routinely asks you to violate your values... something needs to shift. You don’t have to leave. But you do have to get honest.
Start small. One conversation. One boundary. One truth.
The Next Step
This week, choose one decision (big or small) and run it through your values.
Don’t overthink it. Just ask... what would it look like to move from alignment?
Then do the next thing that feels most aligned.
Feel stuck? What’s the very least you can do? Need help implementing this consistently? This is where coaching can be helpful. Book a complimentary Clarity call to get clear on how coaching can help you stay aligned with, and understand your values.
Continue the Quiet Rebellion
This is Field Manual 01 of 11.
Each week, I’ll be releasing a new manual that builds on the last, guiding you through the full arc of realignment, resilience, and rebellion.
Next up in the Quiet Rebellion Field Manual Series
Discovering Your Core Values
Boundaries and Non-Negotiables – Defining Your Personal Lines
Core Beliefs – Foundations of Self
Mastering Time, Attention, and Energy
Habit Mastery – Living by Design, Not Default
Strengths and Virtues – Empowering Your Potential
Journey to Wellness – A Holistic Approach to Self-Care
The North Star Guide – Redefining Goals on Your Terms
Life Path Roadmap – Integrating Insights for Personal Mastery
Your Personal Manifesto – Living Your Truth Out Loud
The Reflection – Integration, Momentum, and What’s Next
Want to access all Field Manuals?
Or check out my other resources to support your quiet rebellion:
Dispatches
Caselogs
Needs Improvement Podcast
Want to explore this further?
Book a Clarity Call if you’re done resisting, and ready for real change.
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