Though I suffer endless pain
Better so than shame my name
Though mothers weep most bitter tears
Greater still my darkest fears
To be forced to shatter dearest pride
Never could my heart abide
For high is the price of honor kept
No matter how our mothers wept
Strength and might of the body fold
But never so the strength of soul
One of the things that I most want with my life is to do something that contributes to improving the world we live in. I believe that if everyone approached life with this value in mind, this world would be an infinitely better place. This can be done with large acts, but more often than not will be done with many small, seemingly insignificant acts each day. Sometimes something simple, such as opening a door for a person or helping someone carry their bags, can change just one person's outlook on their day. Small acts of kindness can turn someone's bad day into a better one.
It might seem easy to say that I do something each day that contributes to improving the world. As a paramedic, it's the nature of my job to attempt to improve situations. But simply administering medicines and taking someone to the hospital is only half of treating a person. Most of what I do each day that matters is talking to people. Explaining to them what their illness is and what it does to them as well as teaching them about their medications if they dont understanding them and explaining to them how each thing we do for them, oxygen, IV's medications, and EKG's will help them. Talking, teaching, explaining, smiling, reassuring pats on the shoulder and hand squeezes are the most important parts of what I do each day. Even when medications fail and it's impossible to save a person, it is still talking, reassuring, explaining, and hand holding that help the survivors left behind to be able to hold on in those first moments when they hear the worst news of their life.
Each of these things, taken out of the extreme situation of prehospital medicine, is something we can all do every day. Each of us can improve our world by talking to people, explaining things, reassuring, and holding a hand when needed. We all live so detached from each other these days. There are places where people don't even know the person who lives next door to them. We wave at each other without really seeing and we tell each other to have a good day so automatically that when the protocol varies just a bit, if someone instead says "Come again" we mumble "you too." If we all just woke up and actually interacted with the people around us, I think that we could all contribute more to improve our world.
I think that the goal that I disagree the most with is being recognized for the high quality of my work. Now, we all want to be acknowledged for a job well done and I am no different, however, that is not the reason that I wish to do a good job. I strive to do well in my work and in everything that I do for me. I have no need or desire for fame and recognition for anything that I do. To perform a certain way or do something simply for the desire to be known for it takes away from any accomplishment you might make, because it was done for the wrong reasons. To do something merely to be recognized cheapens anything you might do.
Of the goals listened, the five I would choose that I feel most strongly about, aside from the two listed above, are all ones that I feel positive about. Being innovative and creating something of value is an important characteristic to me. Being innovative keeps your brain active and helps you to focus and remain mentally clear. What you create doesn't have to be valuable to anyone but yourself. The pursuit of knowledge and understanding is always an invaluable path to follow. These two things assist you in every aspect of your life and only help to enrich your experiences. Contributing to the well-being and satisfaction of others comes back to you and helps you to enhance your own well-being and satisfaction. Finally, perhaps the two most important of this five: enjoy work and anything you do in life and growing the understanding of myself, my calling, and life's real purpose. Life is meaningless if you don't enjoy your work and everything that you do. Everyone knows that not everything you do in life will be pleasant, but if the sum total isn't, then life becomes a chore rather than a joy. We should each seek each day to gain better understanding of ourselves, our calling, and life's real purpose. Only this way can we better enjoy our lives, be innovative and creative, pursue knowledge and understanding, and contribute to the well-being and satisfaction of others.