Life-Changing Talk on Core Personal Values

Why me? That was my knee-jerk reaction when a colleague asked me to deliver a talk on values education on their seminar cum team building in the island of San Antonio, Northern Samar. That colleague told me that they think that I can well deliver on the topic, perhaps, for reasons only known to them. Anyway, I accepted the invitation and off we went together to the beautiful island of San Antonio.

 

It was before the pandemic that I last walked ashore the island of San Antonio. Upon reaching the shoreline after more or less 30-minute motorboat ride from the mainland of San Isidro, I noticed huge number of tourists and several lines of motorboats. The island has quite significantly improved than some five or ten years ago. It was so good to see latest developments in the island especially the new high-end resort hotel just beside the tourists’ port.

 

The venue of the seminar/team-building was in a resort in Lagbangan which is located on the further north of the island. The resort is so clean and cottages were properly arranged. We rested for a while and I got the first turn among the speakers.

 

At first, I told them about my hesitation accepting the topic as I may sound hypocritical as I myself is far from the ideals of possessing the right values. But since I have already committed to it, I have no other choice but to take the challenge. I told everyone not to be judgmental to anyone in the group. I also told them that while I am presenting my talk, I will consider myself a participant also as we all try to rediscover and reexamine our personal values and belief system.

 

I focused my discussion on the seven dimensions of man which I think are the main determinants of human values or the starting point of man’s search for what is good. The seven dimensions include the physical, intellectual, economic, social, moral, spiritual, and political. I discussed in depth each of the dimension navigating thru the aspects on how each of these can be enriched, highlighting spirituality as the foundation of each of these, that God should be at the core of every human activity in each dimension.

 

Through a workshop, I told them to write about their current reality per dimension which can either be positive or negative and also identify which particular habits that they want to stop and to continue.

 

In another workshop, I told them to write their desired vision of themselves per dimension. They have all written their answers on a piece of paper. I observed that all throughout, the participants were listening intently to my lecture and they were so deeply absorbed during the workshop.

 

I hope the one hour that I have with them, letting them look introspectively on themselves and getting them convinced themselves that they need to change some parts of their lives and start a new one, my moment spent with them is worth a lifetime.