Personal Values

As a human service provider it is important to be aware of ones values, since values provide the basis for ethical decision making. Values are important because, “Our values (beliefs about what is good or desirable) guide our choices and motivate our actions” (Kenyon, 1999, p. 4). Values vary as much as the individual who holds them and can be derived from ones knowledge, morals or aesthetic preferences. An individuals values manifest early on in life and tend to persevere throughout their life time; without premeditated intentions to assess and alter values, they rarely change throughout life (Kenyon, 1999, p. 5). Through the series of readings, class discussions and independent exercises, it has come to my attention that I have a well established thorough list of values that I live my life by and adhere to. Through these exercises I have also been able to start the process of identifying key factors and individuals that have fostered and nurtured my values as well.

One value that I was shocked to discover rules almost every decision and action I take is, to treat others the way you want to be treated. I, like many others, have been told this saying time and time again, and while this saying may sound very idealistic and innocent, I find that because I hold it as such a dear value, it can be very negative as well. It never occurred to me before that, for example, the reason I get annoyed when individuals do not hold the door open for me, is because I know that I would hold the door open for them. I also find myself at times participating in, and doing things for people, out of the simple idea that I would want (and expect) them to do the same for me. This value stems from having an older sibling with whom I frequently argued with as a young child. My brother and I were constantly reprimanded for not being kinder to one another and the phrase of treating each other the way we would want to be treated was a household mantra. As we grew older, we grew kinder and now are the closest of friends, but that belief can be clearly seen as a major factor in both of our lives. As a human service professional, this is clearly an inappropriate mindset to have in the client-worker dynamic, and will have to be something that I am continuously mindful of. However as a co-worker, I do imagine that the bar will be maintained in its traditional place.

An important priority in my life is focus, or rather the ability to focus. Growing up in an extended family household, my grandfather was not only a constant presence in my life, but he was my mentor and my educational advisor. He was the one that monitored my homework, my assignments, gave me homework during vacations, helped me study for my SATs etc. My grandfather was very old school and due to the generational gap, he did not approve of the multitasking culture in which I was growing up in; his favorite one worded phrase to yell out was, focus! It is a running joke in the family to tell me