Personal Growth
When it comes to social work and human services, I have learned that it is impossible to take care of the less fortunate in the society and the needy around me if I am not in the right place with myself and those close to me. Taking care of other people, and loving them, is reflective of how much I love and appreciatemyself. As a calling, social work and human services require the relentless passion of one in positively impacting the world through small deeds. Therefore, to remain objective and focused in this line of duty will require a determination and a resolve only found from a happy place. It is imperative to consider all the focal points of personal growth if I am to achieve holistic personal and professional growth.Through this course, I have learned that loving and appreciating myself and those around me entails being grateful, being helpful, staying positive, being happy and remaining of good character.
Gratefulness (gratitude) as a concept has enabled me to realize the need to be thankful for all my blessings, achievements and the team I continuously work with. Gratitude is about appreciating everyone in my life for their contribution, and not taking any of them for granted. As a social worker, my biggest fans and source of inspiration are my family and friends who continue to inspire andencourage me to keep on doing my passion. Applying gratitude in my life will require me to continually show my appreciation for the role they play as my supporters. Each day I will make a mental check to utter a word of thank you for their vote of confidence at the end of the day, and for the wonderful pieces of advice they give me. The course helped me realize how often I take my friends and family for granted, assuming they have to be there for me always. Therefore, I will always remind them how glad I am to have them.
The second concept that has been equally exhilarating is character. As a social worker, my biggest drive and influence is my passion for impacting the world by aiding the less fortunate in society. This purpose requires me to be of sound character, and always be mindfulof how my words and actions affect those around me, especially the individuals I work with in the community centres. Therefore, I purpose to be more understanding and open and develop an easily approachable persona that will allow me to connect more intimately with the individuals I set out to assist. More importantly, I have learned that I need to remain humble and be willing to walk into hostile and poor conditions to reachout to my target population.
Help as a concept not only calls on me to be helpful and moreselfless in connecting with the less fortunate individuals in the society, but it also requires me to accept all the help I can get. In society today, most individuals succumb to pressures of perfection and excellence through their aggressivedesire to make it on their own and prove their independence. However, as a human service provider, I have learned that it is ok and healthy to call on others to help me, particularly with rallying resources through donations. In the same way, I have also learned that I should adapt the art of offering help, whether financial or otherwise, whenever I am called upon by the centres and other organizations of the same course. Therefore, I will purpose to rally more support from my friends and family.
One of the essential concepts of a social worker is positivity. The calling is demanding, and in most cases traumatizing through the negative experiences and horrible living conditions, we expose ourselves to trying to reach out to the less fortunate. I have learned that staying positive is essential, especially in preaching hope to the target audience. I am looked up to offer hope and assure my clients that things will be ok. I cannot preach such positivity if I do not believe in it myself. Therefore, it is paramount to remain positive, which I will do mainly through reading the Bible and meditating on the promises of God. As a staunchbeliever, I draw my greatest strengths from what God speaks over every situation, and I will purpose to share the same hope and promise of a better future to my clientsevery day.
Lastly, remaining happy goes a long way in asserting my positivity, not only to myself but also to the less fortunateindividuals I am entrusted with. Not allowing the pressures and the sad reality of social work and human services is crucial in ensuring that I develop the right attitude for interacting with my clients. I will purpose to recharge and draw happiness through my interactions with my friends and family members. We will spend more time together watching movies, playing games and going out to create happy memories and remind myself how blessed I am in such a cruel world. Such happiness and attitude will equally be rubbed into the individuals I work with at the centre through the jovial interactions I will have with them, urging them to look beyond their present misfortunes.