Health 1110 – Stress Management

A Very Value-able Assignment

This activity has several parts to it. Do not leave any of the parts undone. It is better to do a bit more than a bit less than you think is necessary. That way I can be pretty sure you have read through the chapter and understand it pretty well. Answer each of the following questions in your word processor.

Please base your responses to all the activities below on the reading in chapter 9 of your text:

Part I – Chapter Questions

From chapter 9, respond to the following questions. Make sure you have answered them sufficiently enough to demonstrate that you have thoroughly read and understand the principles in the chapter.

bullet Explain how your life is like a puzzle piece in a giant jigsaw puzzle and why it is important to find the piece that you are.
bullet Put in your own words your understanding of the Niagara Syndrome. In other words, explain the natural consequences of living (how you spend your time), and not living, according to your own values.
bullet Describe the seven steps in acquiring a value and relate why you feel this is important or not.
bullet What must a person believe if he or she wants to begin living a life according to his or her own true path?
bullet Looking at the list of Instrumental and Terminal values, relate an instrumental and a terminal value of your own that aren't included in these two lists.
bullet Explain what Ben Franklin realized was the key to his success and how you think that contributed to his success as a self-realized individual and a founding father of our country.
bullet Finish this part with your thoughts of how the information in chapter 9 affects you personally including any insights you had about yourself and the stress that you experience.

Part II – Creating your own Path
(also known as your Mission Statement, Constitution, or Governing Values)

Based on the information in chapter 9, you are going to follow the steps to create your own mission/value statement (your personal constitution). This process, if you do it appropriately, should take more than just a few minutes to complete. You will be referring to the chapter to do this activity.

Do all of your work using your word processor. It may even be better to take some scratch paper and do this process in a place where you can think deeply about this information. I suggest that you consider going somewhere in outside in nature to work through this, somewhere you can be alone, where you can ponder and meditate, perhaps even bring your wisdom literature with you (i.e., scriptures and other books that are most meaningful to you) to inspire you as you do this.

Follow these steps as they are outlined on pages 155-158 of your text:

1.       Determine your highest values. Follow the instructions in Step 1 - Identify Your Values of "Creating Your Personal Constitution" section of the reading (found on page 155). Use Activity 1 - the list of instrumental and terminal values AND Activity 2 - Your funeral to decide what things are most important to you. In no particular order, write them all down ... as many as are really yours.

2.       Prioritize your values - follow the instructions in Step 2.

3.       Write a clarifying statement for each of your values according the directions in Step 3. There are 3 key components to your clarifying statements. Be sure to follow them for each value you have chosen as your own.

4.       After you have done this, write a brief statement of your experience going through this process, any insights you gained about yourself, and how you feel this might affect you in your life.

Once you have gone through each of these steps, type your finished product (#3 above) and your thoughts about this (#4 above) on your word processor (you will not turn in #1 or #2 above).

Turn in your final product of Part I and Part II at the beginning of class on the day it is due. Make sure your name is on your paper.