Values and Social Location Reflection Essay

The Importance of Hard Work and Freedom in Personal Development

Most societies focus on values as desirable modes of behavior. Values are the source of greatness for the most successful and happy people in the world. Generally, they are broad motivational goals recognized by people from all cultures. In this regard, values influence decision and behavior. In the text, I strongly support hard work and freedom. Hard work is critical especially if one wants to achieve financial success and material comfort. I believe in hard work because it builds character, draws attention, and brings new opportunities.

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Through hard work, one can learn to focus and to manage time and resources properly. For the past three years, I have been committed to achieving my educational goals and objectives. In as much as I dream of success, I also find it prudent to wake up and work hard at it. Normally, the diligent stand out and as one reaches the pinnacle of success, he/she gets more experienced, makes less mistake, and improves his/her decision-making skills. Similarly, the person is likely to save a lot of time, energy, and effort.

Hard Work: Building Character, Creating Opportunities, and Overcoming Challenges

To most people, hard work is challenging and uncomfortable. This implies that it is not easy by definition in the sense that weak people will give up while the strong will persevere and reap the rewards. As an individual committed to achieving specific life goals, I find it prudent to build my ability to handle hard work. I believe that what makes a person truly worthy of the success that he/she attains is the ability to keep struggling until certain goals and objectives are met. In life, there is no shortcut to success, and hard work can be implemented with an intense desire to struggle. Through hard work, I have found ways to appreciate what I am capable of achieving and aim even higher. Furthermore, I came to understand that patience is very important. In this regard, I can take action instead of waiting for things to happen.

Hard work is a critical value to me because it gives me a purpose and helps me to overcome laziness, fear of failure, insecurities, and doubts. Based on my goals, I constantly try new ideas hence creating opportunities. Average people make countless excuses in order to postpone or avoid taking action. These people tend to be distracted by simple desires. Proper utilization of the opportunities is part of working hard. It is the real face of luck, and for one to meet specific expectations, he/she has to focus on something and take action connected to it. The more one tries, the more life gives you chances to get closer to the vision. By seeing the results of my hard work, I feel accomplished, truly satisfied, and grateful for what I do. The best measure for anything else in life is progress. When hard work is practiced on a consistent basis, it is likely to bring more results. If I continue working hard in my studies, definitely, I will achieve my goals. At any moment of the day, I tend to build momentum in everything I do.

Freedom: A Fundamental Element of Self-Definition and Individual Liberty

I pride myself on my freedom. Normally, freedom is a critical element of self-definition process. My freedom of choice and decision is essential in carving out my identity in the sense that, at times, I can operate outside the norms of the majority. Freedom requires a compromise between certain goals of the government and the rights of an individual. The freedom to vote, worship, peacefully assembly, the press, speech, or engage in any activity that is in line with what the society believes are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Here, the focus should be on political freedom, economic, and medical freedom. I believe in the right to form and join an organization and to have a say in how you are led. The right to go where one wishes and to choose who you love and commit to is also a critical element of a community which believes in individual liberty. Freedom is important in my life because, as an American, I can easily relate to people.

There is the need for the government to have minimal interference on the liberty of the people and should only do so to promote true individual development. This means that individual happiness is a priority. I believe that people should live their life as they choose so long as they are willing to accept any inherent consequences. However, actions that might cause emotional harm to other people in the community should be punishable. In order for the community to function, we have to seek to minimize suffering.

I do not support religiosity and romantic love because they are not important to me right now. Being religious does not mean that everyone is expected to go to church, mosque, or synagogue. As human beings, we only have to acknowledge the existence of God and follow what He believes without necessarily going to any place of worship. In as much as I identify with a particular religion, I don't find it necessary to compel any individual to have a similar belief. When seeking guidance on questions of right and wrong, personal experience is very critical. On the other hand, some people believe that romantic love is the only basis for marriage. However, what is important to me right now is how I can make everyone around happy. What matters to me is the love for friends and stability of the house. Romantic love is only necessary when the two keep it real and are committed to solving structural problems before they get out of hand.

Conclusion

The development of individual values such as hard work and freedom is influenced by a number of factors including peer pressure, primary groups, and reference. In most cases, peer pressure makes an individual less or more attentive to the possible risks of certain activities. For instance, my friends are hardworking, and we always engage in a number of activities. In this regard, I find myself competing not because I want to compete but because I have been compelled to do so. When it comes to the primary groups, the focus is on friends who give us identity and a feeling of who we are. I always find myself doing what my friends do. For instance, my friend Jack aspires to be a director at McDonalds Company. He always works hard, and this informs my desire to follow him. Reference group may include neighbours, family, teachers, classmates, and members of the church. Such people exert tremendous influence on us. My mother respects individual freedom hence the reason I do exactly what she does.