Values of Life - Essay Example

Why are values important

As humans, we need to make tough decisions on a daily basis unless you are a child in which case decisions are mostly made for you. Having values guide people to make the right decisions and shape one’s priorities. Living by one’s values is an indication that one’s life is headed in the right direction. In this paper, I intend to establish my values through retrospection.

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In high school, I was elected to be the school president. This happened when I was in eleventh grade. I had never been a leader before, and I decided I would first give it a try then. I remember telling my parents, and they were very encouraging. I campaigned with my opponents for about a week, and the students voted. The results were announced the following day after the elections, and I was declared the winner and the school president. I was elated. I stood in front of the school and gave my victory speech. I felt powerful at that moment, and that gave me great joy.

In tenth grade, one of my friends and I conducted our lab experiments. It was a chemistry lesson, and we were supposed to test the level of acidity of different acids. The teacher had left us with acids in test tubes and pH test trips and went outside and gave clear instructions on how we were supposed to carry out the experiment. My friend and I were pretty quick so after we had been done with the experiment we got some other chemicals from the cabinets and started mixing them, and this caused an explosion. He had already invited me to a party at his house on the weekend. He was ready to take the blame for the entire thing and leave me out of it since he knew my parents would not let me go to the party if I got in trouble in school. I ended up being honest about the explosion and never got to go to the party and also got detention, but I was proud of the fact that I was honest despite the consequences.

Importance of values

In the same year, I had problems with my teeth due to consumption of a lot of sugary foods. I had an addiction to sugary snacks. During my exam week, I made the decision not to take anything sugary because they often gave me a sugar rush and this was not good for me since I had to study. I accomplished it, and my parents were so proud of me.

Throughout my high school and college years, I was an excellent student. This was not because I was born a genius but due to my love for knowledge. In class, I would be the student asking questions while others failed to pay attention. I would listen to every single word the teacher or lecturer said. Gaining knowledge gave me satisfaction. I would even meet some of my teachers after classes to know more about certain subjects. My parents had a lot of responsibility when I was in college, and therefore they could not support me fully financially. Being stable especially financially is important to me, and it prompted to go and look for a job. Once I started getting paid, and I could support myself and take care of my basic needs, I was satisfied.

From these encounters, I have identified values such as knowledge, honesty, stability, power and self-control. Of these values, my top three would be power, self-control, and stability in that order.