Discussion #2 Prompts:

Prompt #1: Values Worksheet: What were your top 5 values? What kinds of defining
characteristics did you associate with your values as you crossed them off the list
one at a time until you had one value listed? What did you learn about your values
hierarchy through this activity?
My top 5 values are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Happiness
Helping others
Integrity
Adventure
Personal Development

My top value after crossing them off one by one was determined to be happiness.
I value happiness above all things. My life mottos are do what makes you happy
and be your own kind of beautiful. We only get one shot at life, at least that is
what I believe, and in order to experience it to the fullest, one must do what brings
them happiness. Another thing to consider is that you cant make someone else
happy unless you are truly happy. I believe one of lifes purposes is to achieve
happiness and help others achieve their own happiness. The remaining values out
of my top 5 are also extremely important to me and contribute to my top value.
Adventure is one of my personal values based on the fact that I love traveling,
trying new things, talking to people, visiting new places, etc. and these things bring
me happiness. Personal development also contributes to ones happiness. I
personally like to learn a lot. I am always looking to better myself. Helping others
is a very important characteristic. One can help others in many ways as a friend,
volunteer, donator, teacher, listener, etc. Integrity is an important value to me
because it reveals a persons intentions and sincerity. To me, these are important
characteristic in a person.
Prompt #2: Take a moment to revisit your Identities Table (you completed this as
part of last weeks discussion topic Prompt #4). Take a look at each of your area
of identity and reflect on your responses there in light of your core values. What
are your core values in each of those areas of identity? Highlight several key
areas of identity that guide you in life and think about whether the values you
ascribed to these areas are values that you truly live by or simply talk about.
Discuss and values gaps.
My core value of happiness fits my identity as an adventurer, sister, daughter,
girlfriend, and optimist. Even my role as a student fits my value of happiness
because it is a way to achieve a career that will bring me happiness. My role as a
sister and daughter fit my value of helping others. I would like to volunteer more
time and for my role in my career to be focused on this value. It soon will be. Im
just not there quite yet. I guess I could say this is a values gap for me at this point
in my life. My core value of integrity is not really highlighted in any of my roles in
particular. I just find that this is an important character value. My fourth value of
adventure is embraced by my role as an adventurer. I want to travel the world, try
new things, meet new people. Anything that is new, unique, and exciting I like to
do. I spend the majority of my free time going to cultural festivals, talking to new
people, trying new activities, hiking new hikes, visiting places Ive never been

before (close ones for right now). My final value, personal development, is
encompassed especially in my role as a student. I love to learn.
Prompt #3: Dreams and Desires Worksheet: What underlying meaning did you
discover through exploring your dreams and desires in this manner? Can you see a
connection between what you desire and your inner sense of purpose? Explain.
My dreams and desires that I listed on the worksheet portray my inner sense of
purpose or what makes me happy. A lot of dreams and desires I indicated also
portray my want to make other people happy and help other people. Included in
my dreams and desires was the desire to fall in love, marry my best friend, and
travel with them. I desire an infinite, affectionate and loving bond with someone
who shares the same desire as me to travel and explore. I also desire to have the
financial means to live comfortably enough to take care of my dad and give him a
stress free life because I feel that is the least I can do for him for all he has done for
me. I want to also make sure I can help my sister to achieve her goals in life as she
grows into an adult. I want a career in the medical field using my talents to help
and serve others.
Prompt #4: Lemming Debrief. Think about the structures in your life select two of
three and discuss how each of these structures influence your life, the way you view
the world, the way you relate to others, and your ability to be effective.
1. One structure that impacts my life largely is my health, specifically my
condition as a Type 1 Diabetic. Not only does this structure impact my daily
routine, but also bigger decisions in life. For example, I value a career with
stability, one that will also give me financial stability. The reason I value this
is because I have experienced a time in my life where I didnt have insurance
and at the time insurance companies had the right to deny me insurance
because of my pre-existing condition. Therefore, my biggest priority in my
late teens was finding a full time job with health insurance because I couldnt
afford my diabetic costs daily. Having a career that will allow me economic
security is important in case I am ever without insurance, I will be able to
afford my diabetic supplies, essentially afford to live. If I ever have children
(adopted or biological), it is important to me to be able to have economic
security simply for health reasons.
2. Another structure that impacts my life is my family experience. As I had
mentioned in my first discussion topic, my mom is a mentally ill addict.
Growing up my father was CEO of many different companies so he traveled
very much and I saw him very rarely. We moved 13 times before I was 11
years old. My sister was born when I was almost seven years old. With the
family situation I described, my sister became my child, my sister, my best
friend, and my responsibility. To this day, my sister is the most important
person in my life. I want her to pursue anything in life as long as it makes her
happy. Growing up, I took care of my sister and my mom. Although my
parents are very, very different, they did instill in me the desire to give to
give talent, to donate money, to give time, give love, give happiness,
whatever I can contribute as long as I made a contribution. I believe my
desire to help others is influenced by my family situation, taking care of my
sister, and values my parents taught me.

3. As I had mentioned earlier, I moved 13 times before I was 11 years old. In

life, I have moved a total of 24 times. When I was about 3 or 4 years old, my
mom would have me trace maps of the continents and different countries
within them. At a very young age, she opened my eyes to the world. She
would show me pictures, read to me, and teach me key facts of different
countries. I believe the fact that my mother introduced me to the many
different areas of the world at such a young age and the fact that I moved so
frequently (even if it was just all over the U.S.), made me want to discover
and explore. I have a desire to see the world, to experience different
cultures, visit different places, meet new people, hear new languages, taste
new foods, etc.
Prompt #5: Make some connections between the Lemming Dilemma and the HBR
article Do your commitments match your convictions? In particular, comment on
inertia with respect to living a values-centered life.
Most of the Lemmings had no idea why they jumped off the cliff. They just did. The
HBR article Do your commitments match your convictions, states, historical
commitments can create inertia that prevents organizations from responding
effectively to changes in the competitive environment. In the case of the
Lemmings, the historical commitment to jump off the cliff led many of the lemmings
to commit to that purpose without even knowing why. It also led other Lemmings,
the No Leaps, to commit themselves to not jumping simply because they didnt
want to commit themselves to jumping. The Lemmings, including the No Leaps, are
perfect examples of how their commitments dont match their convictions or vice
versa really. Lenny was a perfect example of this until he met Emmy who allowed
him to realize his conviction or purpose was to motivate others to build a stronger
sense of community among the Lemmings. It is important to be able to determine if
ones commitments match his or her convictions. When they dont, that is how
value gaps appear. Many of us, actually I would say the majority of us, have value
gaps.
Prompt #6: Imagine that your life exists exactly the way that you want it to be,
right at this moment- regardless of what you believe is actually possible. What do
you see? Where are you? Who are you with? What do you do with your time? Be
specific. Also, what underlying personal meaning, values, personal characteristics,
desires are represented and/or satisfied in that life?
If I close my eyes and imagine a life without limitations, I picture myself traveling
the world, visiting many different places. I imagine myself smiling, experiencing all
the different sights, sounds, cultures, and wonders. I picture myself with my
husband (to be, whoever that may be) and I see us volunteering in all the different
places we visit, volunteering for whatever we are passionate about. I want to help
people medically, so I picture myself nursing those that need medical attention. I
also have a passion for the development of the youth, so I also see myself working
with children. It would be fascinating to communicate with all different types of
people and be immersed into the culture and learn. I like drum circles where people
gather and make music together and dance and laugh and smile. I also picture
myself doing yoga and perhaps teaching a yoga class to children. I envision myself
hiking, seeking the beauty of the world. When I close my eyes and imagine these

scenes, I can feel myself smile. I feel the happiness, peace, and fullness of my
heart. My vision is characterized by happiness, adventure, helping others, and love.