VALUES: What You Stand For

Values form from the core of your understanding about the world, the basis for your deepest feelings. They act as motivators for your beliefs and actions. You can also think of them as the main themes upon which you weave the experience of your life. Values feed your passion for activities that you overtake over the long run. They do not usually change drastically throughout your life, but act as an anchor, allowing your return to your original purpose.

Your core values tell what you stand for. Many of us, unfortunately, have grown up with the sense that values are like rules—a straight jacket that limits our behavior. Yet when we look at the people who deeply believe in something, we see the opposite. We see people who can draw vast reserves of energy that seem to flow from their beliefs.

Values are energy source. A person who believes in something, who acts on what seems really important, always finds the energy to accomplish the task. People disconnected from this energy source find themselves struggling against burnout.

People tend to feel crazy if what they are doing in their work world is drastically at odds with their values. For example, a young man was having terrible stomachaches for reasons his doctor could not isolate. Something was making him very sick. Telecommunications Company, feeling very excited about the king of high tech research he would be doing, when asked about the values and beliefs concerning strategic arms control and military matters. Slowly he began to say that he had been raised in a religious tradition that opposed military service and was feeling conflicts with his values in doing his new job. He literally made himself sick with the incongruence between his personal beliefs and the mission of the company.

Not everyone experiences this level of conflict, but many people begin to fell less excitement about what they are doing if their personal values are continuously challenged at work. Connecting your personal values with your work efforts is the KEY TO KEEPING YOUR SPARK ALIVE.

INITIATIVE: A Key to Good Interpersonal Relationship

The desire to do something good for others is natural to most people. Their hearts are infused with the capacity to feel for others and do something for them. Therefore, it takes but the willingness to put into action the good deeds that their minds and hearts urge them to do to concertize something. They can actually initiate themselves to do something once they see the value of what they are doing. They are motivated from within to start an action. This is INITIATIVE.

Persons who have initiative do not wait to be told what to do or when or how to do it. They do not look for approval, praise, or reward to start moving. They perform actions out of their volition rather than through the urging or pushing of someone else.

In peer relationships, persons who have initiative take the lead to build harmony and true friendships among friends. If they are leaders in any activity or project, they initiate the creation and maintenance of a warm and healthy atmosphere in which everybody can work cooperatively to accomplish tasks and achieve goals. They start the ball rolling to encourage everybody to participate in good action. Most Filipinos value initiative in a person. Persons who do not need to be told what to do are considered trustworthy, industrious and headed toward a successful future. They are welcome members in any group because they can easily spot occasions to be of immediate help to anyone.

If someone in a group is quick on initiative, you can bet that group will be able to accomplish something of note.

Persons who have initiative to do work that is pleasing to GOD earn not only the earthly reward of good interpersonal relationship with others but also build a sound investment in their final union with GOD in heaven. HOW MUCH INITIATIVE DO YOU HAVE?