Values Which of Your Regular

Values Which of your regular activities outside the classroom (group or individual) best reflect your most important personal values? How? I consider one of my most important activities outside the classroom to be my volunteer work. The value that I attach most closely to this is that each person has been placed on earth to be as helpful as possible to others. One of my missions in life is to use the privileges I have to help others with less than I do.

One of the volunteer ventures I am involved with is reading books to the elderly who have lost their sight either fully or partially. I love reading, and cannot imagine what it would be like if I could no longer plunge into a book myself. I know that, if I were ever to lose my sight, I would much appreciate anyone taking the time to read to me.

Also, I can see how many people in old age homes tend to be forgotten by their families and the friends they once knew. It becomes a very lonely existence. To see the appreciation they feel when I arrive provides me with a great sense of satisfaction and meaning. Another volunteer venture I'm involved in is at the animal rescue shelter. As human beings, we should care not only about each other, but also about other creatures on earth.

Domestic animals are particularly vulnerable, as they are often at the mercy of cruelty and meanness. I like to think that I am making the lives of these animals a little better by donating food, blankets, time and love to the animals in the shelter. I also help to find homes for many of the animals by interviewing prospective owners. It is my job to make sure that the dogs or cats would be happy in their new homes.

I also make occasional follow up visits and provide support services to new animal owners. I feel this is important work, as these animals cannot speak or fend for themselves. Which of your regular activities outside the classroom (group or individual) best reflect your most important personal values? How? Another activity that I enjoy, and which also reflects my basic values, is planning my spending activities during the month.

The value that is involved here is to carefully plan my finances in a way that helps me to not only survive, but also to have money left over to save towards my longer-term goals. If the recent recession taught me anything, it is that the value of money and the stability of income are by no means guaranteed.

It is therefore important to create a strong basis of wealth in terms of savings and investments in order to secure a future for oneself and those who might rely on one's resources. Learning to work carefully with my money now will also help me in my financial future, when I may have new responsibilities. If I succeed in creating a sound basis of savings, I will also be able to give more to charitable and non-profit organizations.

The two values of careful saving and caring for others therefore integrate with each other. I.