☼Values☼

"What are your values and how do they define you? Where do they fit in terms of your council's values? In terms of the community's values?"

I'm finding it kind of hard to say what my all values are-I have so many and they are the driving force of everything I do in my life. For example, knowledge & achievement are important to me...thats why I chose to go to college. Friendship & sisterhood mean a lot to me....those are some reasons I joined my sorority and I keep my friends close.

During the excersize in class, I listed self-actualization as my number one value because I think it encompasses several values. This is at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs...more important that any other human need (food, sleep, friendship, intimacy, self-esteem, respect). The way I'd explain self-actualization is "when you become the perfect you." Maslow lists morality, sense of humor, acceptance of imperfections and human nature and care for the greater good as some qualities of a self-actualized person. I get the feeling that some people reach old age, or die without becoming self-actualized. This value is most important to me...I need to be self-actualized...not rich, famous, or surrounded by family and friends (although I'm not about to NOT pursue those things too.)

According to the class activity my personal values don't totally line up with my council's values, but why should they? Service, contribution, quality, and money are values that I share with the NPHC but they aren't ranked the same. The values of the council are based on the needs of the community and 9 organizations.

In terms of my community..it depends on what community I'm in. If I'm back home, with my family and in the community in which I was raised, then a lot of my values fall in line with the people I'm around. Religion/spiritualty came from my Christian upbringing. My appreciation for the importance of education came from seeing my parents struggle through life without college degrees. My need for independence comes from the way my mother raised me and taught me to always be self sufficient. Now switch it up to the college community-not everything is the same. I feel the need to make a difference, do well in school and basically get smarter. I feel I share those values with lots of other college students....but some of my values aren't in line with everyone's. I'm not sure everyone thinks self-actualization is the most important human need. But for the most part, I surrond myself with people who think and behave similar to me, so our values are similar.